Words Once Spoken
by Zollercoaster
Summary: Yet another tragedy strikes at Kurama's heart and he loses himself to grief. Can a familiar face bring him back or will he be lost forever? KuroKura, brief KuramaHiei
1. Prologue

Hi there, here is the first chapter of my new story, what you have all been waiting for! It's a Secret told the tale of Youko's past, and this story tells of events after the series. I intend for this to be a big story, and I hope you all enjoy it. For those of you who are big Hiei and Kurama lovers I have to warn you that they will be together for a short time, but this is a Kuronue and Kurama and Youko story. Let's get started now!

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Words Once Spoken: Prologue

_It is late evening and we sit at our desk doing homework. We only do it because mother is always so proud. She gave so much to raise us, shuuichi's feelings of love and gratitude towards her have transferred to me. But that doesn't mean we don't do things behind her back. For instance, we have tried almost every human drug that we could find here. None of them had any effect. _

_Alcohol on the other hand, is very good here. We go and get drunk at least once a week, we are well known in quite a few bars around here. In part I blame my part of us for this. That part of my past, that is a permanent part of my soul, it has rubbed off on his. That experienced part of me had taught him much, and the way I treat him, like a toy, doesn't really help much either. _

_At night sometimes, under the full moon usually, our souls manifest outside of our body, most likely to relieve its stress at having two souls within it. I admit that I have taken advantage of Shuuichi during these times. I assert my dominance over him and he meekly submits to my will. He blindly obeys me when I instruct him in a ceremony he has no clue of the reason for. I never asked him, I just began the ceremony when our powers developed when we were ten. It is an intimate thing that we do, not like love in the flesh. If we continue this ceremony, our partially divided souls will completely unite for a human lifetime. _

_My part of us treats the other part as inferior. I view him as a weak human despite how untrue that is. As we are one, I have taught our combined consciousness many of my old ways. I have never tried to shield him from any violence or anything else in my past. In fact, I have forced my memories on him. We both love each other very much, but I still miss Kuronue dearly. My soul, having been the last one to enter this body, is able to escape our body at times. I control it most of the time. But when that happens, my soul must stay with shuuichi, who remains within. _

_Anyway, we always put on a polite and kind face for the world. This body has looks that are almost as good as mine were. And that makes almost any human he meets desire him. He has learned much about love making from me, and his body is by no means a virgin. He has had many lovers. He has slept with most of the good looking kids at his school. That is not an exaggeration. Like me, gender doesn't matter to him. We have had quite a few affairs with older humans as well. Somehow though, shuuichi has remained innocent in the eyes of everybody. _

_Then there are our team mates. None of them know of our true personality. We have seen the dark side of this society, and are not as loving as we have made them think we are. Yusuke, we respect him as a fighter and companion. Much like my old teachers, I trust and rely on input from him. I truly admire his fighting spirit, though why he is so attached to that weak little Keiko girl I might never understand. Their love seems to pale in comparison to Kuronue and myself, but then again, we are older. Yusuke only returned to human world last month._

_Kuwabara is an idiot. His stupidity gets on our nerves, but he has a good heart. His code of honor, flawed though it is, makes us respect him a little bit. That is probably the only reason we imagined his presence at the tournament in demon world. He is not as dumb as he used to be, but Yukina will still never love him. _

_Botan and Koenma. They are not very high on my list right now. Koenma is back in spirit world working for his daddy like he always will be. Chances are I will never see him again. Botan either, more of a loss, but not much. I care about her, a little, as a friend. Her cheerfulness in a way reminded me of Kuronue. He is always at the forefront of my thoughts. Genkai is worthy of my respect. She, like Sho, is wise and gentle. Some may not see it that way, but Genkai is, or was, a powerful fighter that should be honored._

_Then there is Hiei. I knew him in the past, he hasn't changed much since then. I would give my life to protect him. He is a good teammate who is far more intelligent than the others. He doesn't waste time on stupid distractions as the others do. His straightforward view on life and his power do indeed attract me. The fact that he is so attractive doesn't hurt either. Of course, I am aware that this is merely a physical attraction. My heart can only belong to Kuronue._

_Quite honestly, I am growing sick of this human world. It is dull and full of weaklings. I should return to the band and see who is left. I think I might do that soon. Or I would if I could make an excuse for mother. I can talk to her over the phone like I did during the tournament, but it would be a frustration. I guess I will just have to wait for a chance to come along. _

**Shuuichi**

_Youko and I are in a sense, one being. Our souls share everything with each other. The personality and feelings each of us experience separately have slowly changed each other. I fear that we are merging into one being. I don't know if it is possible and Youko refuses to talk to me about it. He may not say it, but I think he fears it as well._

_Youko has taught me a great many things. One of the most important was how to wear a mask of perfection. I have done some horrible things, few of which I regret. I wanted to do those things, and Youko enabled me to do so. I am grateful to him for that. But in a way, I feel bad for it. I never had a childhood, have never been innocent. Youko has been with me since before birth, and he has educated me about life since then. Strange though, we believed in Santa Clause for a few years. It was only when this body gained spirit awareness did he realize that it was just mother who placed the gifts._

_Mother. I truly love her. She gave birth to me, she gave me life. Even though Youko tried to teach me that she was an inferior human, she is still my mother. My undying love for her has indeed been transferred to her other son. For though he denies it, what happened to him was no different from what happened to me. We both entered her and were born in her blood. It is only because of the spell he cast that Youko keeps his memories of being Youko. It also allows him to take his old body's form._

_I have a feeling that if that amulet was removed from his soul, either the spell would be broken and he would no longer be able to resist spirit world's pull, or we would be wrenched apart. That would be a death sentence to the both of us. After growing together for so long, our souls have attached to each other. When he leaves our body, he is still anchored to it, and cannot leave its presence._

_We have fought together with others, and though Youko denies it, we would give up our life for any one of our teammates. But Youko is a stubborn Kitsune, and he seems to enjoy being contrary. He always tells me that I am to soft hearted for my own good. Then I point out that that's what Hiei always tells him. It shuts him up. But we always get along with each other, after all, our souls are connected._

_We fought once though. During the tournament to become king of demon world, I tried to renounce him and his past. I wanted to remain with mother as Shuuichi and not have Youko getting in my way. Needless to say, that didn't last long. I can't deny who I am. He has been controlling my body more and more lately. He does this to protect me, we both feel that something horrible is about to happen. _

_For that desire to protect me, I love him. But then again, doesn't that mean that I love myself? I suppose that is a good thing, to a certain degree. These past years, I have learned that life without Kuronue is incredibly boring. He always brought fun into all that we did. Though this part of our soul never truly met him, it is close enough. We share our memories of him, so I feel all that Youko does on the matter. He is mine, as well as Youko's soul mate. _

_Lately we have had absolutely nothing interesting to do. Getting drunk at the bars on Saturday nights is about all the fun we have these days. That reunion when Yusuke showed up was the most fun we've had since the tournament. Though Genkai is still alive, we have decided to go into the Makai to locate a few demons that would be willing to learn to live peacefully with humans._

_It will be slow going for a while, but I believe we will eventually succeed. Youko says it is a stupid idea. But since Hiei is coming, we will go. We haven't had any good lovers lately and a forbidden child will be perfect. At first the thought of ruining our friendship occurred, but then we remembered that Hiei desired us too. Hopefully, that is all that he feels, desire._

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And that is how it begins. I'm sorry to those of you who dislike them this way, tell me your concerns and I shall read them. Don't worry, the first few chapters are the only time when any of the above mentioned activities take place. After the first few chapters, the story will be more like my last one. In the style of writing I mean. So please stick with me. The real story can't begin without Kuronue (hint hint). Anybody with questions can put them in a review, but emailing it to me at is a better was to get a fast response, and a more detailed one.

The fact that this is in the first person and they are just talking about themselves is just the prologue. Thank you to anybody who read my last story, and welcome to those who are reading this one. You don't need to read my last story, but I would recommend it. Please read and review with your honest opinion. I will update soon!


	2. Affairs of the Heart

Okay, here's chapter one. I like it, but it is a bit dull if you ask me. Of course, that's often the case with some chapters. I hope you guys and gals like this, don't forget to let me know afterwards.

_Italic comments are thoughts from Youko's soul._

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 1

A few hours before sunrise, Kurama snuck out of the house. He left a note for his mother saying that he and some friends were going on the camping trip that he had told her about. By the time he arrived at Genkai's, it was a cool summer morning. As he approached, he could tell by the peaceful silence that he was the first to arrive. Chances were that Yusuke would be late and Hiei wouldn't show himself until it was time to leave.

At the top of the long staircase he stopped. There was nobody in sight, as usual. It would be relaxing to stay outside and enjoy the scenery for a while, there was no hurry. A light breeze had picked up as he stood there. As he turned to face the refreshing breeze, his red locks blew out behind him. He closed his eyes and let his awareness wander. When Yusuke's energy could be felt at the bottom of the stairs he smiled. _It's time to preform._

Easily slipping into a cheerful personality, he went to greet his former team mate. As the spirit detective came into view, it was clear that he hadn't changed much while he had been in demon world. Being forced to awaken early and climb these stairs seemed to have irritated him like always. The fact that he was muttering to himself didn't phase the redhead in the least. He looked up and caught sight of Kurama. "Hey Kurama!" He called, waving cheerfully, all of his anger forgotten. _He's definitely the same._

"Hello Yusuke. It's been a while." Kurama replied. Yusuke seemed to get sick of the stairs, so he just jumped over the remaining steps. _Should I really be impressed by that? _"You're surprisingly early." Kurama commented as Yusuke landed beside him.

Yusuke grinned at him. "Yeah, well I got into the habit of waking up early while I was in Makai. When tons of hostile demons attack you in the middle of the night you learn to sleep as little as possible." He grabbed Kurama's arm, something that annoyed the redhead greatly, and dragged him to the temple. Yusuke cupped his hands around his mouth to call for Genkai, giving Kurama a chance to free his arm. _I hate when non lovers touch me._

Genkai stepped out of the door and looked down at the two visitors. "What are you bothering me for?" she grumbled. "You don't need my help to open a portal Kurama." She shut the door behind her as she stepped out anyway. _Same old Genkai._

This was something Kurama hadn't mentioned to Yusuke, they had only talked once since he returned. Before the boy could comment, Kurama spoke up. "Yes but we still need to wait for Hiei to show up so we thought we'd say hello." At the mention of Hiei's name, a grin broke out on Genkai's face. She gestured for them to follow her.

She led them around to a small yard where they found Hiei. He was sitting on a white marble bench next to Yukina looking like an animal caught in a trap. His eyes looked almost frantic as Yukina, who sat next to him, chatted away cheerfully. Kurama's face brightened quite noticeably at the sight of the koorime. _How perfect, let's go. _It was time to inform his new lover of his new title.

He went over and sat down by Hiei. One of his hands found Hiei's and grabbed it in a very obvious manner. There was a sudden silence when everybody saw this. _They have good eyesight. _Hiei tried to pull his hand away but Kurama refused to release him, and instead sat there smiling "Let go Kurama." Hiei practically growled. _No way._

Beaming kindly, Kurama replied "What if I don't want to?" Everybody's eyes widened at this unusual behavior from Kurama. "I'm sorry Yukina, but we really must be going." Yukina, who was the least affected by Kurama's behavior, smiled and gestured for them to go ahead. Kurama stood up, bringing the smaller demon with him. "Come on Hiei, let's be on our way." He dragged the resisting demon behind him. _He could escape if he really tried. _Yusuke came to his senses and followed his friends into the woods.

Kurama came to an abrupt halt in a small clearing. "I'll open it here." He told them, releasing Hiei's hand. _Ah darn, I was having fun. _The small demon quickly moved away into a tree behind Yusuke, who gave Kurama a sort of confused look. Kurama closed his eyes and put his arms out in front of him. His energy became visible around him as the plant life stirred. He closed his eyes, as he allowed a pleasured expression to come to his face, making sure to let Hiei see his expression as he threw his head back. _He'll see that a lot more than that soon enough._

Vines shot out of the ground in a circle around him. Before him a small tear in the dimension appeared. Now, his eyes were clenched shut tightly and he cried out as strands of energy appeared to rip from his body. _Why don't you just let me help? If you used my power this wouldn't hurt you! _They flowed from the three points of energy on his body, forehead, chest, and abdomen. Yusuke called to him in a worried tone. Energy continued to feed into the tear until it had grown into a full sized portal.

Then as suddenly as it had begun, Kurama's energy faded. "What the heck was that?" Yusuke yelled, rushing up to him. Hiei had moved closer too, showing concern for his friend. _It's already working. _Yusuke's determined face told Kurama that they weren't going anywhere unless he explained.

"Well Yusuke," he responded calmly, "when opening a portal you usually need psychic abilities of some sort. I don't possess any, so I used demon energy. Youko knew how to do it in the past, but his ability to use plants and energy to tear dimensions only recently awakened in me. Actually, the change took place when we fought Sensui. I only realized it a little over a year ago." He could tell Yusuke wanted a better response so he continued.

"If I tapped into Youko's power it doesn't hurt me. In this form though, I am only able to open the portal. It is all I can concentrate on while doing it. The energy that is ripped from my body isn't life energy, but it comes very close. It is a replacement for the psychic energy that is usually needed. This energy that demons have is the same energy that creates connections like the mating bond. Its use in any other way however, causes a certain amount of pain." he paused "We should go through now." He looked up peculiarly at Hiei before turning into the portal. _I can't wait to see this._

Within the passage, Hiei sped quickly past Kurama in hopes of being able to avoid the strangely behaving Kitsune. "Hiei!" he called, but as he knew would happen, the koorime ran on. Hiei should pay more attention to him, he thought, smiling. _He'll learn. _Hiei exited the portal ahead of them with a flying leap. Kurama stopped Yusuke just as he was about to follow. The very amused grin on Kurama's face made Yusuke suspicious.

Kurama gave Yusuke one of his plant wing things (I don't know what they're called) and leapt out of the portal. In the air outside Yusuke saw why Kurama had stopped him. Below them was a large lake, one that Hiei had jumped right into. The small demon jumped out of the water and stood there with clothes dripping wet, glaring at the mischievous redhead. _Let's take him right now! I want him so bad!_

Kurama ignored the glares as he openly enjoyed the way Hiei's clothes clung to his body. He licked his lips just a little bit, making sure only Hiei noticed it. The little Yokai(sp?) quickly moved into a tree at a safe distance as he fought off a blush. _I win. _"Shall we go then." he said to his other companion, his amused smile still on his face.

"Uh, sure..." Yusuke said, deciding not to ask about his normally calm friend's strange attitude towards Hiei. After all, he probably didn't want to know.

They were traveling through a snow covered forest a short while later, it seemed seasons were opposite in Makai. Kurama hadn't made any more strange faces at Hiei, in fact he had said almost nothing at all. The group seemed to have very little to discuss. "So where are we going anyway?" Yusuke asked, breaking the silence.

"There is a village a day away from here. There is a good chance of finding eligible demons there. Children are probably our best bet." _We should just kidnap some, it's better than facing her again. _Kurama replied, still walking. He hadn't paused once since they began walking. Hiei had been staying out of sight in the trees. Mainly since Kurama kept eying his wet body whenever he was near them. Yusuke was the only one acting normal, which doesn't matter if nobody else is.

There was nothing left, it seemed, of their complete comfort around each other. A gap had formed in their kinship, now barely held together. The only ties they had to each other now were the people they knew and the things they stood for. Kurama felt this loss, but pushed it to the back of his mind. Hiei was what mattered right now.

The rest of the day was silent except for a few brief comments. As it got dark, Yusuke and Kurama decided to stop for the night, though all of them could have kept going. Hiei came out of the trees, his clothes had dried during the day and he had decided to make an appearance. Something that was, needless to say, unusual for the little demon. _He just can't stay away from me! _Hiei's stare bore into him.

Kurama's eyes visibly brightened when Hiei came up to the fire and actually sat down. "Nice of you to join us." he greeted his soon to be lover. Hiei didn't bother to give a response. His senses stayed high as he kept a close watch over the fox. More for his own safety than for his friend's. _This is going to be fun._

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Tell me what you think about the Youko comments, too much, too little? Should Kurama respond? Let me know please.

I didn't really make this clear but when youko comments or uses the terms 'we' or 'us' to refer to themselves, it is kind of like that way that royalty would refer to themselves in the third person. I have always thought that was fun to write.


	3. Clarified Intentions

Wow, I got quite a few reviews for the last chapter. Thank you for all of your support!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 2

Hiei had finally turned his back to Kurama. A foolish move, he realized as he felt Kurama's arms encircle him from behind. _He's so warm. _Kurama had a sudden urge to begin purring. Hiei tried to shrug Kurama off of him, but the redhead wouldn't budge. At last he spoke up "Release me Kurama!" he snapped, irritation apparent in his voice.

"Why should I?" Kurama replied as a ghost of a smile touched his lips. His emerald eyes shone in the dark, a mixture of lust and amusement. Yusuke was just staring at the two of them, especially Kurama, with no understanding of what was happening.

Anger, or at least fear growing, Hiei struggled against Kurama's grip. In response, he held on tighter and put his face against Hiei's neck. He breathed softly as he nuzzled against Hiei's skin. The angry demon was growing frantic. Kurama was petting him! One hand ran uncomfortably low on his back, and the other remained around his shoulders. Then finally Yusuke spoke up. "Uh, Kurama? I think you should let go now." he said hesitantly, afraid of how his unstable friend would respond.

Kurama simply released Hiei and sat up again. As soon as he was released, Hiei fled into a nearby tree, but for some reason stayed near them. Yusuke turned questioningly to Kurama. Kurama was simply smiling as if nothing had happened. Yusuke gulped and decided to take a risk and speak up. "Hey Kurama, are you gay?" Kurama barely managed to keep his face emotionless when Yusuke put it so bluntly. _How dare he demean us with that ningen term!_

His internal struggle invisible to the others, Kurama simply replied, "Of course not Yusuke. Why do you ask?" Yusuke gave him an incredulous look and tried a different tactic.

"Because you are so obviously hitting on Hiei." He replied. "Why are you doing that anyway?" Kurama let a slightly longing expression come over his face. Hiei was still watching them from a safe distance.

Preparing an answer, he leaned back against Hiei's tree and pulled his knees into his chest. That made him look smaller and innocent. He had given himself the look of a young pre-teen with a first crush. His words belied his appearance though. "It's simple really. I want him to rip off my clothes and take me." Yusuke panicked a bit and Hiei leaned forward. _Make him know we want his body. _"I want to feel him press against me and touch every inch of my body. I want him to take my breath with his lips. I want his unrestrained passion. I want him to make me scream out his name." He looked up at Hiei. "I want him. I couldn't consider it when you kissed me before, Hiei, but I want you to do exactly what you threatened to."

There was a furious red tint covering Yusuke's whole face by the time he had finished. "What's gotten into you Kurama?" The detective practically screeched. "You've never acted like this before! Why would you think that Hiei... wait, did you say he kissed you?" Kurama simply gave one short nod of his head, grinning widely as he did so.

Above them, Hiei was watching. He had blushed a little at Kurama's explanation, but now he was just thoughtful. He could tell the tricky fox didn't love him, he wouldn't have openly talked like that if he did. He would have tried to be more subtle. But this... Hiei wasn't oblivious to Kurama's love affairs in the Ningenkai, he knew more than Kurama thought. So it seemed that the insatiable spirit fox was growing tired of these humans. How he could allow those vile creatures to touch him was beyond Hiei's understanding. If Kurama merely wanted a parter for bed though, that was something to consider. The fox was clearly giving control of the situation over to himself. And he had desired the Kitsune once.

Kurama refused to say anything about the kiss other than that it had been when he was still Youko. Yusuke seemed to understand that Kurama had said all that he would, so he didn't question any more. It had gotten late though, and they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. So they drifted off to sleep, two on the ground and the other barely asleep in a tree nearby.

The next day they were off again with no mention of the previous night. Not one word was uttered between them before noon. They made a quick stop to eat some food that Kurama had brought with him. They ate quickly and without even looking at each other, Yusuke because he felt awkward after last night, Kurama because he was deep in thought, and Hiei was just being Hiei. Hiei hadn't made an appearance all day, leaving the other two to eat alone.

The heavy silence was at last broken when Yusuke asked, "Can you tell us more about where we are going?" He looked up at Kurama, clearly ill at ease, though it went against his nature. "I mean, we should know more about the place before we get there."

"Yes, I suppose you should." Kurama replied smoothly. "It is a village of butterfly demons. They are a fairly reclusive race, mainly due to the fact that they live in forests away from other demons. They are a very intelligent species who place great importance in the young children, especially those who have yet to transform." he thought about it for a second. "They are very kind hearted and giving, they would probably be willing to select a few children to go to human world." he smiled a bit. _Yes, but you know what they'll make you do first._

"They are actually a very beautiful race, especially when they dance. I have an acquaintance in the village who keeps trying to make me join them. I chose them because they are so easy to like and able to adapt. Like the ice maidens, they aren't really fighters, but they do have their powers. The society though, is very tribal. They welcome visitors, but if we want to talk about taking children you must observe their dance. They won't force you to stay up all night, but it would help." W_e'll have to preform it, there's no choice about it. _Kurama fell silent once more. Yusuke muttered something about not being caught dead watching dancing, it sounded like he mentioned Keiko as well. They still had hours to walk yet, and most likely a long silence during that time.

A very slim crescent moon cast an eerie light on the village of luminescent demons. When they arrived at the village, they were greeted by two demons that had Yusuke gawking. One was a very slight young creature. She was about as tall as Hiei, maybe an inch shorter, and was so delicate it was almost surreal. She wore a fringed violet dress that went down to her knees, but nothing other than that. Her skin was a light blue, and her eyes colorless. She had long, golden hair as fine as Youko's hair that hung down below her butt. All over her face and arms were dark blue markings that sometimes seemed too move if you looked at them too hard. She also had a translucent pair of incredibly thin wings that were blue rimmed with gold and magenta designs swirling within them. Her two long antennae were the same golden color as her hair.

The other was just as elegant, though in a different sense. He stood eye to eye with Kurama, his foggy green skin making him appear taller. He had straight blue hair hanging halfway down his back and his eyes were also colorless. He was very thin and moved with a rhythmic grace. He wore what appeared to be a violet toga, and had markings similar to the other demon, except they were dark green and seemed less mystic. His wings were green fringed with blue and black designs covering them. His antennae were also the color of his hair.

They came to a stop in front of their guests. The male opened his mouth to speak,  
"Welcome to our homeland, may the dance support you in times of need." He gave a sweeping bow and looked to Kurama, seeming to await a response. _At last, an elegant race._

"May the dance protect all of its children in the homeland for eternity." he replied in the customary way of the butterfly demons. Though he already knew them, he introduced himself according to custom. "I am Kurama, a friend of the dancers in times of need. This is Yusuke, a guardian of life in need, and Hiei, wise in knowledge of the dangers of the spirits. They know nothing of your ways, and will follow your guidance in the ways of the dance."

Then the small girl spoke up, her sweet voice the sound of pure bells. "I am Cho, the pathfinder of the dancers, and this is Kiyoshi, guardian of the homeland. I am joyful that you have come back to us Kurama, maybe the way of the dance still has a purpose for you." He smiled at her as if to say she might be right.

Hiei was wise enough to stay quiet, but Yusuke spoke up. "So can we get on with it now Kurama?" he asked in a hushed tone, his awe at the butterflies apparent in his voice. _Foolish..._

Kurama practically hissed at him, "Silence Yusuke, there is a custom for everything in this village. Just stay quiet unless spoken to." Yusuke glowered but did as he was told. The two demons quietly gestured for them to follow them to the center of the village. They all stood in a circle to speak. "It is time to begin bridging the gap between humans and demons. I would like it very much if the dancers would select a few children to prepare for a long visit to human world. Would this be possible?" Kurama asked them.

The two demons stood silently for almost a minute before they answered. Before Kiyoshi could respond, Cho had spoken. "Clever to ask for the dancers to select them. Our children are very important to us, but so is the dance. You know I would never turn down an opportunity to see you dance again, so that is your best chance at getting what you ask. Youko, dance with us this night, and make the flowers sing once more."

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F.Y.I.-this whole situation has little to do with the actual story, unless you want it to, let me know.

Well I already showed that they aren't in love, but what about afterwards. It can be one of three ways, or other ideas.

1) Hiei doesn't care when they are no longer together

2) Hiei is angry and holds a grudge that will eventually be resolved

3) Hiei becomes more withdrawn and their friendship is never the same

It's up to you, just tell me what you want. I will incorporate it into the storyline. If you have other ideas just let me know. Also if you choose the 2nd one, please let me know how you would like it done.


	4. Dangerous Beauty

As a special Thanksgiving treat, I'm updating today. This chapter is almost completely just Kurama dancing. For me at least, it's very entertaining. I hope you like it!

Okay, I keep forgetting to include the disclaimer, should I go back and add it or just leave as is?

**Disclaimer: It should be obvious to anybody who's ever read a fanfic that I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 3

"...Youko, dance with us this night, and make the flowers sing once more."

Kurama sighed, "Very well Cho, I shall do as you ask." _Ha, she got you! _The last time he had danced, it had taken so much of his energy that he hadn't been able to stand for a week. During the dance, all of his energy had gone into the flowers around him, and they had actually begun to move with him. The butterfly demons had been delighted and tried to make him dance again. The dancers were innocent, but they were also unable to empathize. They couldn't care less that he was drained, all they wanted was the thing that had brought them so much delight. He wasn't the tall, graceful demon that Youko had been though, so it wouldn't be quite as magnificent.

She laughed in delight. Grabbing his wrist, she led him away from his friends, practically floating as she did so. He walked with her until they were surrounded by dancers, all as beautiful as Cho was. Many of them knew him from before and were just as delighted that he would join them. It was almost sad, such a beautiful race to be unable to care about other's pain. Quickly they covered his face, chest, and arms in the markings of the dancers with a moist blue powder.

While the dancers were with Kurama, Yusuke was talking about the customs of the village with Kiyoshi. "So what's this whole dancer thing?" he asked the demon.

Yusuke half expected him to get mad, with the way Kurama had silenced him, but instead, the demon just began to lecture. "Our people are guided by the dance. It is a very important ceremony that guides our lives. We are divided into three factions, the dancers, the guardians, and the wise ones. Children are selected for each, and after the transformation they change to reflect the aspects of that faction. The dancers are small and light, always cheery and innocent, and the majority of them are girls. They are the ones that preform the dance and guide the children. " he didn't show any signs of stopping his explanation.

"The guardians are taller and stronger, usually more calm, and mostly male. We protect the homeland and dedicate our lives to the other two factions. The wise ones are small as well, they are more stern and are the only ones who travel outside. They seek out knowledge, especially of the spirits. Some of them are human in appearance, though they still have the power to fly." he seemed to realize he had been ranting. "Sorry, I lost myself for a moment. Was that helpful?" Before he could say anything Hiei made a startled grunt from behind them.

Yusuke whirled and was as surprised as Hiei had been. There was Kurama, covered in strange blue markings. His hair hung down limply around his shoulders, seeming longer than usual, but with a near phosphorescent sheen to it. His arms hung limply at his side as if he was sleepwalking. The most startling thing though, was that him and all of the dancers around him wore nothing but a few scarves as thin as their wings. Yusuke managed to avert his eyes. "What the hell is going on here?" he yelled.

"This is the dance. During the time Youko lived here so long ago, he only joined us in the dance one time. But it is an event that will never be forgotten. All of the flowers came alive and joined us in the dance. Our people were accompanied in every dance by the flowers for a year after that. Cho has wanted him to dance again since then." Kiyoshi answered.

"The kitsune lived here?" Hiei asked. He had been standing behind them silently for a while now, never feeling the need to speak up. Though he listened to them, his attention was clearly on Kurama as the dance began. The dancers raised there arms in sweeping motions and began to move. The dancing was very fluid, and Kurama matched the small, graceful demons in every motion. This dance looked like it would take months to learn, and even more to perfect it. Kurama's hair swung all over the place, mostly hanging over his face. Wisps of energy flowed outward as the dancers gently released it.

"Yes, Youko and his master lived here for about a year. He was only 18 years old then, a young one by any standards. He was placed with us to learn the dance and the ways of our people. He learned from the wise ones, the dancers, and the guardians. He and his master are the only two to ever see our children. They really got on well with him. Judging by the way he is dancing though, I'd say that he is much more shy than he used to be. Youko used his body much more and jumped right into the most complex movements in the dance." Kiyoshi told them. As he spoke, many more demons that must have been guardians came out to watch the dancers, an excited murmur rose up at the sight of Kurama.

"Kurama was a slave?" Yusuke asked, though he too, was gazing in awe at the dancing before them. The speed of the dancing had become more furious, though no less beautiful. Kurama's hair whipped around him as he performed complex twists and spins. His energy flowed more powerfully than the other dancers and soon the plants around them began to sway. He leapt into a nearby tree, still visible, and soon every leaf on the tree glowed, and vibrant flowers covered it. His energy left him at an incredibly fast rate, all of it going into the plants around them.

"You could say that. Yes, the chimera was an old friend of ours. He decided that we could influence Youko's training better than himself, so he brought Youko here. At first he was cold and didn't smile, but within weeks he was smiling and laughing with the children." Kiyoshi too, watched the dancers with an awe that bordered on reverence.

The dancers' skin already glistened with sweat, and they had barely begun. Kurama listened to Youko's memories for the dance. He was already panting from the loss of energy to the plants. _You can do better than that little one. _He picked up the pace, losing himself fully to the power of the dance. Everything started to blend together at that point. He began to interact with the other dancers, linking arms, back to back, and so on.

Before he knew it, half of the night was over. He was about ready to collapse, but the dancers still awaited the phenomena from last time he danced. _I will help you now. _A strange slippery feeling, and then Youko's soul was outside his body. Looming behind him, all of Youko's energy flowed outward. They danced as one. The strain of the dance was taking it's toll, and a burning sensation swept over Kurama's body. Memories of Kuronue watching his dance came to mind, and soon sorrowful tears flowed down his cheeks, shining in the moonlight.

Youko moved behind him, swirling and stepping to a soundless rhythm. He guided the other's movements gently. A pure humming note rang out from the plant life around them and the plants grew to at least twice their size, swaying to the rhythm. Throughout the night, that note rang out, moving the dancers in a hypnotic fashion. The note was pure joy, as were the dancers when they heard it. Hiei and Yusuke could see what Kiyoshi had meant about Kurama's dancing now. While Kurama preformed all of the movements, Youko did even more. His hips were constantly swaying, in fact, every part of him was. He and Kurama were back to back now, Youko moved his hips against Kurama's, urging him to echo the movement.

Soon Youko's soul had coaxed Shuuichi's into dancing the same way. His grace now increased by tenfold, he gave himself to the plants. A new surge of energy came from his body, matching Youko's in power. The flowers humming delighted in their energy. For hours they danced, their souls relishing in the melody of the plants.

Before they knew it, dawn had begun to appear. As one, every dancer turned towards their audience with that sweeping bow the demons seemed to use often. Youko's soul slipped back into his body after the bow. _Damn, that was worse than last time. _As the dancers straightened themselves out, some of the watchers came over to converse with them. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kiyoshi approached Kurama, who was still frozen in the bowing position. They came over just in time to see Kurama fall forward onto the ground.

"Kurama!" Yusuke cried. His two friends rushed over and lay him on his back. Kurama's face was completely blank. His eyes were just as dull as when he began the dance, his hair was damp and matted. He was panting quietly. "What's wrong?" Yusuke asked.

"Don't worry." Cho's voice came from beside them. "This happened last time he danced too. He was immobile for about a week. His childish master just laughed and said he had trouble coping with the loss of his energy. If I recall correctly, he knew that Youko would be fine, and exactly when." she peered down at Kurama, smiling and bright eyed.

A weak chuckle came from Kurama. "Yes, he told me later that I gave all of my energy to the plants. As soon as I could stand again, we left this village. That was almost two hundred years ago, and I hadn't been back since." His gaze turned weakly to Cho. "All you wanted was for me to dance again, and you kept trying to get me up. You were just a new dancer then. Well, you got me to dance, though I hadn't intended to do that again. I won't be able to move at all for a few days, and then it will take over a week to regain the ability to walk."

"Sounds like a jerk if you ask me." came Yusuke's disbelieving remark. Kurama snarled at him. "Sorry, it just seems wrong that he made you go through that without even frickin' telling you what would happen."

"I was his to do with as he pleased." Kurama said with a note of finality. "Cho, will you please select three children and prepare them for the trip to human world. Two wise ones and a guardian preferably. We will return in a few months to bring them there." He asked her, but there was no question in his voice.

"Yes my friend. I will have the guardians prepare a litter for you to be carried on. I hope you have a safe journey Youko. May the dance see you safely from the homeland." she replied, jumping into the parting words of her species.

Kurama replied weakly, "May the flowers sing for years to come. So long Cho, it was nice to see you again."

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So that's the end of that little adventure. I know it was a bit strange, but when inspiration hits, you've gotta go with it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I will have the next one up soon. Until next time on Words Once spoken.

Oh and you have one or two more chapters to vote on Hiei's reaction. So far 1 and 2 are tied with two votes each. K, bye.


	5. The Best and Worst Thing Possible

A bit late, but here it is. Happy December everybody! This chapter is kind of fun, and please don't be mad at me for leaving it off like this. This chapter is odd, in a good way, like chapter 9 of It's a Secret. I hope you enjoy this! Here's what you've all been waiting for!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 4

A low moan crawled up from the back of his throat. The black haired demon above him was more skilled than he had let on, much more. Shirtless and at last atop him, the sight was enough to drive Kurama wild. The fire demon's lips once more covered his own, the demon's warm tongue slipping into his mouth. This would leave him gasping, no doubt about it. _He was a good choice. _

The beautiful redhead was sprawled out on his back below Hiei. At some point his shirt had been pulled open, exposing his chest, pale from being covered from the sun constantly. Their hungry movements had begun suddenly, with no warning. Not that either of them were complaining. Kurama's hands clawed desperately at Hiei's back, hungry for more.

He had finally found a lover who's power could match his own, something he hadn't had since Kuronue died, and something he missed greatly. Hiei's roaming hand found his head and entwined itself into long red locks. Kurama's head was pulled backwards as Hiei's mouth glided over his neck. Another moan emitted from Kurama's mouth, his eyes rolling back in his head. There couldn't have been a better choice.

In their passion, neither of them noticed the person approaching the room. Right after another moan, the door flew open. Yusuke stood in the doorway, a flush creeping onto his face when he saw the position they were in. "I, uh..." he began, seeing the frustrated glares the two demons were giving him. He was clearly at a loss.

Kurama looked at him upside down, impatience and amusement visible behind the pleasure on his face. Hiei just glared at him from over Kurama. Yusuke had known Kurama wanted to sleep with Hiei, he just didn't expect Hiei to consent to it. Especially since Kurama was still to weak to stand. They had put him in a room at Genkai's to recover, calling his mother with an excuse. He had just lain there limply on the bed, reading at times. Well, it looked like he had found something else to do.

When they saw that Yusuke was just sitting there gawking at them, they tacitly agreed to ignore him. Hiei lowered his mouth pack down to Kurama's chest, biting just hard enough to draw blood. Kurama's surprised groan was enough encouragement to continue. The fox's legs wrapped around his lover's waist and pulled his hips down onto his own. Not only did this give them more pleasure, but it had the desired effect on their audience as well.

The door squeaked as Yusuke quickly slid the door shut and fled down the hallway. In a flash of yellow, Kurama's shirt was thrown aside. His experienced hands nimbly removed Hiei's belts while never interrupting Hiei's activities. Yes, these two knew what they wanted fro each other, and both intended to give it. Kurama was very pleased with himself, he was well aware that his pursuit of Hiei had been a good idea. It had been a nice surprise when Hiei had decided to join him though...

**Flashback**

It was the middle of the day and he was trapped in a windowless room. All he could do to entertain himself was read a book that Yusuke had given him. It wasn't very interesting either, in fact, he had seen cement more interesting than this. He sighed and began playing with his hair, gazing up miserably at the ceiling. His right hand ran languidly across his body and through his hair on the other side.

Before he knew what had happened, Hiei sat crouched on the bed in front of him. "H..Hiei?" Kurama asked, surprised by his friends sudden appearance, though quite pleased. The black haired demon studied him, red eyes contemplating. "Why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you." Kurama regained some of his composure as he spoke.

"Are you still unable to move?" Hiei asked, his face mere inches from Kurama's. Kurama unconsciously lifted his head to look directly into Hiei's eyes, closing the gap even more. The other demon averted his eyes, fixing his gaze on the kitsune's mouth instead. He gulped, a bad move, those lips were as perfect as the rest of the fox, perfect for kissing. He felt his body stir in reaction to their intimate position.

"I can move some, but only a minuscule amount. I'm still to weak to stand though, though that's obvious. I wouldn't be in this room otherwise." Kurama responded, his voice sultry. "Why do you ask?" He continued to run his fingers softly through his hair, hoping Hiei's would soon be under his hands instead. A smile touched his face at the thought of being able to stroke the demon's body without restraint.

"Because I wanted to make sure this was the right time to take you up on your offer." Hiei closed the distance between them, his lips closing down on Kurama's. Kurama's surprise didn't stop his reaction time at all. In fact, he reacted almost instantly whenever he was kissed. Things had proceeded quickly from there. No words were necessary, they just clung to each other passionately, lust consuming all rational thought.

**End Flashback**

They lay there panting, the scent of sweat and sex heavy on their bodies. "I'm glad you chose to join me." Kurama said in between breaths. "I really needed a worthy demon for a change." He nuzzled against Hiei's chest, too exhausted to initiate a second round.

Hiei just lay there by Kurama for a few minutes with Kurama's long hair sprawled out over his chest. He was in awe of what he had just been doing with his friend. He had never expected that he would do something like this with Kurama, let alone be sought out by him. Sure he was experienced, but ever since he had first met the Kitsune, he had wanted to possess him. And now he had. But now that they were done, he knew it was time for him to leave. Still a little dazed, he dressed and left quickly, forgetting that Kurama couldn't get up.

"And now I am stuck here once again." he grumbled to himself. _Well at least you get to smell like him. _And he couldn't even get up to take a shower. This was definitely not how he had pictured Hiei giving into him. But, surprisingly enough, the other demon had come without any encouragement. That one never stopped surprising him. That was a good thing, and incentive to continue an intimate relationship with him. Well, he was fully satisfied for now, but not for long.

He closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath. If he was stuck here, he might as well rest and regain energy. Not that this would make his recovery take longer than last time. Kuronue had come to him every night that they lived with the butterflies, even after he danced. That was just how much his bat had loved him. He grew drowsy, his mind wandering back to when he and Kuronue had been together.

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About four days later, Kurama was able to leave. He departed from Genkai's during the late afternoon, arriving in the city after nightfall. "Well it's Saturday night, might as well go celebrate my recovery." Kurama murmured to himself. He decided on visiting his three favorite bars.

He was greeted by a drunken cry from the regulars who knew him. One of them immediately ordered him a powerful drink. In every bar he went to, people that knew him bought a drink for him every time he entered. They enjoyed betting on how long it would take him to get drunk, it was usually a while. It wasn't hard to obtain an I.D., in fact, he had done it in an hour.

Kurama grabbed the drink and downed it in a few gulps. "Hey K'rama." the man who had given him the drink said. He felt a hand slip between his legs and begin stroking his inner thigh. He sighed, but made no move to stop the man. This happened most every time he went out, he had objected once and it just caused more trouble than it was worth. The man's hands were so clumsy it was embarrassing. He probably just hoped Kurama would get drunk and sleep with him again. Humans were such imaginative creatures.

He was already done with his fourth drink by this time, and the alcohol still hadn't effected him. Just as he ordered a fifth, another regular walked in. She spotted him and came over immediately. "Hey." she greeted him. He nodded to her and put the cup to his lips. She was another one of his ex-lovers, though he actually knew her name. They had broken up right before he stole the Forlorn Hope, he had gotten bored with her as soon as he laid eyes on Hiei. He hadn't had anyone for more than one night since then. (A/N: Let's pretend that he was a little older when he met Hiei, shall we?) Neither really cared though, there were no feelings between the two.

Throughout the night he drank continuously, visiting three different bars as he'd planned. About one am he was thoroughly drunk and stumbled down the street towards his home. _Don't go home in this state Shuuichi, I know you feel it too. Something bad is coming! _He just wanted to get home though, so ignored his senses. He could sneak in as usual and cover up the alcohol smell with roses. That was why he usually smelled so strongly of roses anyway.

When his house came into view he could sense that something was terribly wrong. He let his awareness encompass the house, most of his drunkenness forgotten. Looking through the plants, he was able to see behind the house, a large window had been broken open. He dashed into the house, running into the living room that the window led to. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

He felt his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst forth from his chest. His breathing came in heavy gasps and his legs gave way. His eyes were wide and unblinking, drinking in the sight before him. He felt a tremendous force build in the back of his throat, threatening to burst forth. A putrid stench rose to his nose, threatening to overwhelm him. The force burst from his mouth, a heart wrenching cry of sorrow echoed from him. Before him lay the bloody remains of his mother, covered with the scent of demon, and without a doubt dead.

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It may have been a little abrupt, but the next chapter will be awesome. I've been dying to write the next one for you guys. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please read and review.

If you were wondering, the man at the bar called him Kurama because he doesn't want his mother to hear about him by chance as Shuuichi.

Just so you know, the votes will be open until next chapter (or weekend). If you haven't voted, please do so.


	6. The Fire is Reborn From the Ashes

Hi there! As promised, here is the next installment of Word's Once Spoken! I hope you all have as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 5

_...The force burst from his mouth, a heart wrenching cry of sorrow echoed from him. Before him lay the bloody remains of his mother, covered with the scent of demon, and without a doubt dead._

"No.." the broken, hopeless word sounded so feeble. His ability to deny this was missing, or nonexistent in the first place. A blinding red light flashed around him, his energy, all control over it lost, though he was too upset to realize it. He made no effort to move from the wet ground on which he knelt. He could do nothing but give in to the violent sobs that wracked his body.

A huge, erratic energy signal swept over the city. Yusuke's head spun rapidly to face the source of the energy. _"Kurama, what's wrong?" _He quickly turned and ran towards his friend.

Kuwabara was fast asleep, but this torrent of wild energy was enough to awaken him. "_What the...Kurama!" _Without stopping to think, he jumped out the window and took off down the street as fast as he could.

A dark figure, racing through the trees stopped in its tracks. A third eye opened and saw what the others would soon find. "_This could cause problems." _He vanished silently into the shadows, no room for hesitation now.

Hiei was the first to arrive. He knelt beside Kurama and urged him to rise. Yusuke arrived and froze at the sight. The first thing he saw was Kurama, in a way that he hadn't thought possible for his naturally playful friend. Kurama was trembling violently for one. But it was the crying that really startled him. Kurama had always been the calm one, and here he was, completely devastated, all self control lost.

When he saw what was behind the two demons, he understood. Shiori had been slaughtered, literally clawed to shreds. The putrid stench of death was powerful, it had just happened recently. Yusuke regained his senses and went to help Hiei get Kurama away from his mother's body. When he put the redhead's arm over one of his shoulders he smelled something else, though just barely, through the scent of death. "Alcohol_!"_he thought, shocked. There was no way he could mistake that smell. But why would Kurama smell like alcohol?

"Hey foxy boy," Yusuke said gently, foolishly trying to make the kitsune more comfortable with their presence during this.

He realized what a mistake it was when Kurama actually responded to him through his tears. A viscous growl rumbled out of the fox's throat as he glared up at the poor boy. "Don't _**ever** _call me that!" Kurama screamed at him. His eyes became golden for a brief moment, and then returned to emerald as his tears came once again.

They had set him down on his bed when Kuwabara joined them. He was thankfully silent for once as he looked sadly down on his friend. "Kurama?" Yusuke was the first to address him. He couldn't tell him it was okay, because it wasn't. Kurama had every right to be upset. When you lose a loved one, it hurts. That person is gone, and they won't return, it was human nature to mourn them. So what right did they have to try and make him feel better? Better that Shiori was missed and honored with Kurama's tears.

"It's my fault." Kurama cried. They stayed quiet, waiting for him to talk, knowing that he would. "If I had just come home right away..." he began coughing. It was the coughing that comes upon you when you're crying, your whole body heaves, as if trying to throw off the sorrow. "She's gone. I lost another loved one. I can't keep doing this!" he curled up and pulled his head into his chest. "I know I promised, I know I did.. I promised to live for him, I said I would wait! But why did she have to go too?" he looked so helpless, so lost. It tore at their hearts.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be." he continued. "This isn't how I wanted it. I stayed for her, I loved her." _Now we can go back to demon world. _But the spirit fox's soul had just as much sorrow as Shuuichi's, and could not cover up it's own sense of loss "Shut up!" Yusuke and Kuwabara shared a confused look. "You didn't want this either. We knew something was coming, but I would have never.. if we had just come home..." he collapsed into another fit of coughing.

Hiei looked down at Kurama sadly and quickly turned his eyes away. "I wanted to live, I truly did. But how can I continue on without him here, without her here? Why did they have to find me there? If they had left me, I would still be where I deserve to be. This pain would be gone, and real pain would be there instead!" Kurama's strength to speak faded away. Hiei had seen Kurama like this before, back in Makai. But now there was nothing he could do to help. Shiori's death should hurt him, but this was more powerful than any one of them had anticipated.

He was about to leave when the handle on the door turned. Tears continued to fall from Kurama's eyes, distorting his view. He was the only one who did not see the door. The door creaked open, revealing a very tall figure concealed by a deep black cloak. He stepped into the room, ducking through the doorway. "Who are you?" Kuwabara yelled, leaping backwards and stumbling. He ended up falling on his but and looking more like a clown than anything.

A powerful demon aura was being given off by the ominous figure. Yusuke moved threateningly towards the intruder, but Hiei stopped him. When Yusuke looked down at him, he saw recognition in Hiei's eyes. The demon ignored them and walked slowly over to Kurama. He grabbed the crying boy and flipped him not so gently onto his back, causing him to bounce slightly on impact. Then he knelt on the bed by Kurama's feet.

Hiei continued to restrain Yusuke and Kuwabara from approaching. Kurama's eyes grew wide with shock when the demon removed his cloak. "Master...Kuro?" he managed to stutter through his sobs.

Even Hiei was surprised at this. The master they had heard about, was this him? And why would Kurama call somebody master anyway? Kurama's so called master reached out and gently brushed a rec strand of hair from his face. The bat looked into his eyes. "I see, so you're little kit now." he said, looking into Kurama's emerald eyes, flashing gold. He looked into Kurama's soul through his eyes, wisdom overcoming his expression. "You are little kit _and_ foxy boy, aren't you?" he looked surprised to say the least. "Now now little kit, quiet down." his voice was rather childish, but it held compassion that could only come through age. To the shock of the other three, Kurama immediately silenced, though his tears did not.

"He has every right to cry as loud as he wants!" cried Yusuke, indignant. He was angry that this person had any sort of control over his friend, and took an instant disliking to the bat.

Kuronue smiled gently down at the fox. "So you want me to be master Kuro for you right now?" he asked. What did that mean? The three suddenly found themselves onlookers of the situation, rather than being directly involved. Kurama nodded slowly. "Very well. If I do, you must promise not to cry anymore." Then, as an afterthought he added, "This is much like the night we first met, so long ago." Kurama nodded his head again, but no word came from his mouth.

Without another word, the chimera spread the redhead's legs and knelt between them. He pinned Kurama's arms above his head and kissed him fiercely. Yusuke and Kuwabara went from outrage to shock as Kurama kissed back with passion, his loss seemingly forgotten as he found comfort in this stranger. Kuwabara was especially surprised since he hadn't been present for their trip to demon world, and had no idea that Kurama wasn't even near being unexperienced in these matters.

Kurama began moaning under his old lover's kisses. Being dead hadn't lessened his many talents at all. Kuronue moved to the fox's neck, both of them ignoring the other three in the room. "Foxy boy." Kuro said, looking down at the figure below him. "Get ready for me..." That was why Kurama had been angry about ten minutes ago, Yusuke realized suddenly. The bat pulled Kurama's shirt off in one swift motion and tossed it aside. He began kissing and sucking at the redhead's newly exposed skin, a passionate love with no real caution about how Kurama felt. As he had requested, master Kuro was back. Kurama moaned again, his tears stopping as his mind turned completely to Kuronue.

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Kurama wasn't sure how it had happened, but he was glad for Kuro's presence. It was later, after Kuronue had _comforted_ Kurama, and he was still lying on his bed. The other three had remained in the room, looking the other way, through the whole thing. They didn't want to leave Kurama alone in his present condition, no matter how bothered they were by what they heard coming from the two on the bed. One thing Hiei had noticed was that the bat had marked Kurama, claiming him as a mate, but he hadn't been bitten back. He sensed the bond being opened, but he doubted the others did.

"So who are you?" Yusuke asked, still suspicious of the stranger.

"I am Kuronue, master and mate of Youko Kurama." he replied cheerfully, as if nothing odd was going on. "I finally managed to talk Rekai into giving me my life back. It took a few years, but I convinced them in the end." He looked over at Kurama's limp figure. "I fear foxy boy has gotten lost without my guidance. Eighteen years was far too long for him to be left on his own." The matter of fact way that he said it made them question whether or not he even knew who Kurama was.

"I think Kurama can take care of himself." Kuwabara said. "He's done fine so far."

Hiei was the one who shook his head. "The fox is nothing without his mate. When he died, Kurama invoked his powers and almost condemned himself to eternal torture, the sign of a self pitying fool. Then he eventually recovered, but still acted the fool. He went to the place where his mate died and attempted to rob it again. This time it was he who perished. He managed to save his soul. He became a weak human, ended up almost dying to save his mother, joining the Tantei and being near death many times. Then he goes out drinking as he does every seven days, even though he felt that something would happen, and his mother dies for it." He said all this scornfully, looking towards the figure huddled on the bed with an empty face. Yusuke was surprised though, Hiei didn't seem at all resentful of Kurama.

"All of this is true." Kuronue said, "However, I was referring to the fact that he was without me for so long. A mating bond hurts when it's broken." He reached down and fingered the bite on Kurama's neck. "A one-sided mating bond is not a true one. He is pledged to me, while I remain untouched. My foxy boy would have never allowed that, but little kit is a child yet, and untrained." Kuronue turned Kurama's head to face him. "Go clean up, I abhor the smell of alcohol." he ordered.

Kurama nodded and left to clean up without a word. Kuronue was his master, and right now he didn't have any will to resist. He gave no thought to the way he was being treated, his first years as an apprentice had been full of commands like that. He had asked for master Kuro, and that was what he was being given. He had cried out his pain, leaving an empty shell inside. Youko was almost as devastated as Shuuichi. Kurama was ready to give up, this had been his fault. He would serve Kuronue faithfully and mindlessly, he had nothing else left but his bat.

It was truly a shame that the joy he should have felt at Kuro's revival was overshadowed by grief. It was a trait of both humans and demons to be more affected by the negative things in life. A tragic flaw, but one that he was going to give into willingly. Shiori's death had been another tragedy, and his fragile mind could only take so much. Even with Kuro, he was just too worn out by life. For with Shiori's passing, the purpose she had given him was lost, and he just became like Youko again. A nameless, heartless being, lacking identity and hope.

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That's that. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Let me know, this chapter was fun for me. Kind of odd since it was sad, but fun to write all the same, and it's longer. Well you know the drill, until next week, this was Red Kitsune Flames.

And by the way, the voting has been decided. I'm not telling you what won though, you'll lean more later. I have one more thing I need you guys to help me decide on though.

Do you want the demon that killed Shiori to be some insignificant weakling, a character from the show, or an OC? And do you want Kurama to seek revenge, or to just let it go. It won't come up for a bit, but I like to plan in advance.

Let me know what you want to read, k, bye!


	7. The Way Things Are

Sorry, my internet went down for a while. I'm not _that _late. I hope you enjoy, thank you for all of your reviews.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 6

Kurama had been true to his word. He shed not one more tear. While the others weren't bothered, Yusuke knew better, Kurama was still suffering. Tears help to express the grief people feel, they help to wash away that grief so that they can move on. Until Kurama finished crying for his mother, he could never let go. He would continue to suffer.

For whatever reason, Kuronue had decided to remain in the Ningenkai. He said that he would not leave with Kurama until the fox had recovered fully. But their long haired friend wasn't getting any better. In fact, he was getting worse. He followed Kuronue everywhere, obeying his every whim. And to their discomfort, Kuronue was very open about what he had Kurama do. Kurama never really spoke to them, he just wandered around with his eyes cast down.

Kuronue didn't seem worried at all. He said that all the Kitsune needed was a bit of a reminder on how to live. The bat was very strange. He acted freakishly cheerful, but his actions were the opposite of his almost ignorant attitude. He was fixed on the idea that Kurama was, as he so clearly put it, his. It had something to do with that bite on his neck, though Yusuke couldn't fully understand what that was all about. Kuronue was basically the opposite of Hiei.

Hiei had disappeared the morning after Shiori was killed. He hadn't reappeared since. Yusuke and Kuwabara had been visiting Kurama daily, they didn't want to leave him alone with Kuronue for to long. For some reason, they just couldn't trust the demon. That was where Yusuke was now. He didn't bother to knock, since he knew they wouldn't answer. He just went up to Kurama's room, where they usually were.

He froze at the door. Kuronue was leaning against the wall by Kurama's bed with Kurama in his lap. He had a lock of Kurama's hair wrapped around a hand. Kurama was leaning his head back onto Kuronue's shoulder, his lips parted slightly in a moan. Kuronue's other hand was moving around under Kurama's shirt. He had a very lustful expression on his face.

He met Kuronue's eyes when the bat looked up. He knew the bat saw the blush on his face as he gestured for him to enter. He sat down on Kurama's desk chair as Kuronue whispered something into Kurama's ear. "So where does Kurama like to go?" Kuronue asked. Kurama turned his back to Yusuke and started kissing up and down Kuronue's neck. Yusuke suspected that Kuronue had told him to do that. "I think I should take him somewhere." Kuronue acted as if nothing was happening.

"Umm," Yusuke began, having trouble keeping a train of thought as Kurama continued his 'task'. The redhead had pushed the bat's shirt up and was planting kisses all over his skin. Kuronue grinned devilishly at Yusuke when his voice trailed off. He grabbed Kurama's hair and pulled his head back, kissing him fiercely. As soon as he released him, Kurama moved right back down to his master's chest. Yusuke felt strangely angry, how dare he treat Kurama like this. Their friend wasn't his personal sex slave! The worst part was that Kurama was blindly obeying the bat.

Kuronue saw that Yusuke's gaze was on Kurama. He leaned down and whispered something into his ear. "What, do you want him too?" Kuronue asked as he gestured for Kurama to go to Yusuke. Kurama got off of Kuronue and wrapped his arms around the boy's neck. He knelt on the ground in front of him and leaned his head against Yusuke's chest. Kuronue grinned, "Say the word, he's all yours." Kuronue leaned forward and looked at Yusuke intently. (A/N: This is Kuronue's odd sense of humor, one that Kurama shares. It is not any disrespect for the fox.)

"No, I... What did you do to him?" Yusuke looked at his friend in horror. For the first time, he realized how far into his mind Kurama had retreated. Kurama was barely aware of the world around him. He knew Kuronue was important to him, and he obeyed Kuronue blindly because of it. He had retreated inside himself, reverting to his base instincts in order to survive.

"Kurama." Yusuke said, grabbing his unmoving friend's head and lifting it off of his chest. (a/n:Poor Kurama, everybody is grabbing his head). "You need to stop this now." he looked down at Kurama's face. His eyes widened when he realized that Kurama hadn't heard him. In fact, he didn't even have a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Yusuke looked back up at Kuronue, shock and worry flooding through him. "What's wrong with him?"

Kuronue pulled Kurama back over to him and put him back in his lap. "I marked him, and he hasn't responded to it yet. When a mating bond only goes one way, it usually makes the one who is bitten compelled to obey. They are the only one affected by the bond, making it incomplete. This going inside though, that's all his own grief. He is afraid of being hurt more, so he is hiding from the world. That is why I wanted to take him somewhere, maybe it would help him." he brushed his hand lightly over Kurama's hair.

His long, shiny black hair fell in front of their faces. "Hey little kit," his voice was a whisper just loud enough for Yusuke to hear. "Tell me a place that you like to go." he looked down at Kurama expectantly. Kurama leaned his head back and looked at Kuronue, the first independent action Yusuke had seen him make.

"Yes, master Kuro." his voice was feeble and uncertain. He managed to speak the answer to Kuronue's question, much too quiet for Yusuke to hear him. Kuronue smiled when he heard and chuckled. He grabbed the fingers of Kurama's hands in his and lightly kissed the fingertips.

"I meant a secluded place in this world, I know you wouldn't have stayed here if you couldn't get away at all. It's against your nature." Kuronue lightly stroked his fox's cheek. "Tell me of a place like that." Kuronue had his commanding voice on again.

"Yes," Kurama croaked. "I.. I like the woods south of the city. There are many demons I can kill there." he fell silent, the strain of talking was heavy.

Kuronue smiled and let Kurama sprawl out on his bed. "Yusuke, would you like to accompany us there?" I think he would do better there, with his precious plants all around him. Not only that, but the rest of his family will return soon and find out the truth of what happened. Little kit never told anyone about his mother's death, and after a few days, people might suspect him for it." He resumed his 'petting' of Kurama.

"What did he mean? 'There are many demons I can kill', what did he mean by that?" Yusuke ignored Kuronue's question and waited for an answer. As he thought, Kurama was completely unaware of his question.

"What?" Kuronue actually looked confused by Yusuke's question. "Don't you know anything about the great Youko Kurama?" He took Yusuke's silence as a no. "He was an infamous killer, ruthless and bloodthirsty. When he first became a thief, he found that killing was incredibly relaxing to him. He was known to go on many rampages through towns, slaughtering ever demon he saw." The bat grinned again. "It seems my foxy boy's tastes have rubbed off on little kit too."

To say Yusuke was shocked would be an understatement. He couldn't imagine that Kurama, the peaceful one, would love killing. But at the same time, he didn't doubt the truth of what Kuronue said. He glared at him again. "Why does he acknowledge your presence?" he asked, his suspicions kindling again.

Kuronue blinked innocently. "Didn't I already tell you? My bite keeps him aware of me." He saw that Yusuke was about to ask yet another question. Boy that was getting annoying. "So are you coming with us or not?" he asked, cutting off Yusuke's question.

Yusuke looked down at Kurama. What choice did he have? There was no way he could abandon Kurama now. He wasn't quite sure what was happening with his friend, but he had to help. Kuronue didn't seem trustworthy to Yusuke. And he seemed more concerned with Kurama in general than with his well being. No, Yusuke could not leave him alone with Kuronue. He nodded slowly, giving his agreement.

"Excellent." Kuronue said, beaming cheerfully. He tapped Kurama on the shoulder. "Go get us something to eat." he ordered. Yusuke glared at him as Kurama rose and drifted out of the room obediently. Oh yes, this would definitely be a long trip.

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The characters are a bit ooc, but don't worry about it. Kuronue is especially odd, but he really knows what he's doing. He will help poor Kurama as best as he can. This chapter was a **little **shorter than usual, but it was basically meant to clarify Kurama's condition.

This chapter showed Kurama from an outside view. Next chapter will show him from the inside. So until next time, this was Red Kitsune Flames on Words Once Spoken.

The main reason that Yusuke doesn't trust Kuronue is that he's an adult. Youko is too, but he doesn't see it that way. Just think of how he acts at school. Yusuke just doesn't trust adults.


	8. Stunning News

I'm updating for Christmas Eve Eve! This makes up for being late last time! I hope you all like it!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 7

And so they went. They had left later that day. Kuronue, it seemed, was not one who was inclined to wait, as he initiated the whole expedition. Even though it had been suspected, Yusuke was surprised at how far Kuronue was willing to go to reach Kurama. He was forced to rethink his opinion of Kuronue, but it didn't change. As soon as they arrived, the bat had set Kurama to different tasks, many degrading, in an attempt to anger the kitsune. But Kurama had obeyed without pause, showing no objection to the bat's every whim. That was when Kuronue discovered something that terrified both boys.

When Kurama heard his love's command, he hurried to obey. It was all he could do, nothing else would save him from hurting again. Kuronue would protect him. He knew, it was just a matter of time before he was given his peace, before his pain went or stayed forever. His mother was dead, and despite what his head told him, he knew he was to blame. It hurt so much to acknowledge this truth. It was just that he knew he had to do it. So as long as Kuronue wanted him to do anything, he would accept it as punishment for his crimes. It was his way of helping in any way he could.

For how could Kuronue not resent him? Youko had left him while there was still a chance for him to live. Kurama was a sham, just a worthless being that tried to measure up to his master. Youko was his true identity, a thief. A thief of treasure, a thief of identity. He didn't have any reason to remain here, except his love for Kuronue. And oh yes, he felt Kuronue's mark burning on his neck. It was shameful to any demon to be subjugated by the demon bond, to be the only one marked. However, Kurama felt that the shame was appropriate with the way things were.

To Kurama, it was merely a reason he could hold on to. Kuronue had returned to him, it didn't matter how. All that mattered was that he would still let Youko be his slave. Even without being loved back, he could still give his own love So of course he did whatever he was told, how could he not? He had asked for master Kuro, and his master had understood. He was given his wish. He lived in a daze now, where everything was tinted black. It seemed so real, so permanent. But in the corners of his mind, something screamed that this was wrong, that the world shouldn't appear like this. What if it was through tainted eyes though? If the onlooker was corrupted, then it was right for the world to be different. That silenced the voice in his head, it couldn't argue with that kind of flawed reasoning. (A/N: Nor could it comprehend it..)

He felt Kuronue's hand grasp his wrist. He knew it to be Kuronue's, no other being mattered, so he could only sense Kuronue. He felt something. Cold metal was being pressed into his hand. He knew he was to grab it, so he closed his fingers around the hilt of Kuronue's knife. "Good boy." he heard the praise whispered softly, and felt a warm feeling spread through him. Even like this, the chimera could affect him, make him feel love. "Now take this, and hold it here." the bat said, lightly tracing Kurama's pale throat with silky fingers.

Kurama obeyed, holding the blade to his throat. He heard a sharp intake of breath beside him. His love was surprised. He wasn't sure why, it was his duty to obey. He held perfectly still with the curved blade at his throat, waiting for his next command. For some reason he felt suddenly sad, as if he had done something wrong. A feeling, approaching shame swept through him. Odd, what had he done to make that happen? He had simply done what he was told to do. So how could he be at fault?

That was what had shocked them. The reality hit his two caretakers with a rushing clarity. This was the first time they realized just how awful this was. This situation just seemed to get worse and worse. They looked sadly at Kurama, who just sat there with no trace of emotion. The knife was held firmly, no sign of trembling, as Kurama sat there, ready to take his own life if ordered. It was heart breaking, really, to see such a prideful being lowered to this level. And even worse, he wasn't aware of what he was doing.

"Youko would have never considered taking his own life like this." Kuronue said, his voice trembling for the first time. "It must be little kit who is hurting so much." His master wasn't talking to him, but to another that he could not see. It was of no consequence to him if he was not being told to listen, so he turned the conversation out of his mind. It never even once crossed his mind that the conversation did concern him.

A reply came from Yusuke, though Kurama was unaware. "How can we help him?" he looked at the fox, the fear he had for his friend was reflected clearly in his eyes. Kuronue looked on Yusuke intensely, as if trying to determine how trustworthy he was. Yusuke gulped, those eyes were piercing, as if they saw into his very soul.

"I suggest we do two different things. One would be to get him to use his energy. The other is to make him snap out of it, likely by putting him or myself in a threatening situation." Kuronue put his hands to his chest as he spoke and frowned thoughtfully at the kitsune, losing himself in contemplation.

His head snapped intently to his lover's gaze, which had drifted slightly up towards the sky. "Youko." he said thoughtfully in a stern voice. A teacher catching a student unawares. The fox's gaze quickly turned towards him. Kuronue smiled slightly, that was much like when Youko was an apprentice. He would often catch the fox gazing off if he wasn't being spoken to. Then he would question him about what he had been thinking. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, just like old times indeed.

The Kitsune opened his mouth to speak, "I was thinking." he began, his voice piercing the still air somewhat hesitantly, as if his voice might bring him harm. "That this forest is so much like home. All of the plants are singing to me, they all know me." His voice actually had emotion in it. He sounded like a child that just discovered something wondrous, like presents on Christmas morning. (I just had to add it) "I was anticipating the moment when we become one, the plants plunging into my energy, filling with my essence. There's nothing as wonderful as that. But don't worry, master Sho taught me how to resist their call. I won't do anything until you command me to." he smiled at Kuronue, it was a smile of innocent delight. Like he had at last returned home.

Suddenly, Kuronue's arms surrounded his fox in a fierce hug. "Have you at last decided to come out foxy boy?" he sounded so relieved. "My little Youko, always so eager to embrace the foliage. Can you and little kit come back from this? Will you survive?" he looked down at his love's innocent face. It was the same, even if it was a different face. "Can you help him to recover? You never had a mother, so I'd imagine that you enjoyed a second chance with her. But will you be able to return to me fully? Now that she's gone..." His voice sounded almost guilty as it trailed off.

"Yes," golden eyes softened as they looked upon the chimera. "Shuuichi was devastated by the loss of his mother, don't rush him. I am unable to see any but you as a result. Only when he is ready to face reality will he reawaken to the rest of the world." Youko threw the knife with deadly accuracy into a tree behind Kuronue. It went in hilt deep. Yusuke was surprised at the Kitsune's apparent skills with a knife. "He needs time to think, and I'll help him along the best that I can." He turned in the bat's arms so he was looking up at him. "Until then, please don't try any more of your little experiments." he was clearly referring to the knife, and his voice was stern. Determined lips engulfed Kuro's in a fierce kiss before he stepped back, golden eyes returning to a lifeless green.

Yusuke was very confused as this happened, why was Kurama referring to Shuuichi as another person. Wasn't that just his birth name? Or was it possible that... "Yo, bat man." Yusuke said, drawing the chimera's gaze to him. "Are Youko and Kurama different people?" he asked, a rather contemplative look on his face.

"No." Kuronue said. Kurama is the second part of Youko's name, the part that I gave him when he became my apprentice. Youko Kurama is a demon, and Shuuichi, I believe he's named, is human. I only know what I've seen from looking at them, so I don't know the specifics. I can see that my foxy boy, Youko, isn't the same as he was. There is another entity inside his body, little kit, or Shuuichi. Both are the same, yet different at the same time. They are two separate, thinking parts of one being, but one being they are. I suppose it is possible to separate them. In fact..." Kuronue's voice trailed off as his gaze whisked back over to the redhead.

He called Kurama closer to them and spoke to him. "Do you still have the amulet with you?" he asked. A brief nod from Kurama made him thoughtful. "Can you show it to me?" Kurama nodded slowly, hesitantly. He held his hands in front of him about three inches apart. A golden light began to form in the air between his hands. A crescent shape slowly began to form. It was at that point that Kurama sank to his knees, gasping. His breathing became agonized, but the golden light never faltered once.

A few tears ran down his cheeks, and he gritted his teeth, determined to do as commanded. Yusuke was growing more agitated at the sight of Kurama's agony, and Kuronue's obliviousness. "Stop it!" he finally yelled at Kuronue, knowing Kurama wouldn't hear him. "Can't you see that's hurting him?"

Kuronue ordered Kurama to stop. The light ceased instantly. Kurama put his hands on the ground to support himself and gasped frantically for air. Kuronue seemed intrigued. (Again!) "Why is it harmful to make the amulet appear?" he asked gently.

That was when something he had said finally registered with Yusuke. "Wait! He said that Kurama was his apprentice. If that's true, then when they say master, they mean like a teacher." Yusuke thought. "I thought that meant he was a slave. But if he isn't, why did he say that? 'I was his to do with as he pleased.' " Poor Yusuke just kept getting more and more confused.

Kurama answered, his voice so soft that each word seemed to caress their flesh as it came out. Kuronue got chills at the sound of his lover's voice, so intelligent and graceful. "The devil's amulet is connected to our soul, binding us to one another. It is the anchor on Youko's soul, the thing that keeps his soul in this world. One day, I will die, and our body will belong to him only, the spell will be released. He was planning to bring you back once I'm gone. Until then, it puts a lot of pressure on my body to do anything involving the amulet."

Before either boy could react, a large mass of demon energy came to life around them. Instantly, Yusuke and Kuronue jumped to attention. Kurama stayed where he was until Kuronue yelled for him to stand up and fight with him. Just as Kurama jumped up into a tree and raised his energy, their attackers came into view. There were definitely a lot of them. They were completely surrounded.

"Since when do so many demons live in human world?" Yusuke muttered as he cracked his knuckles. He grinned though. "I haven't had a challenge in months. This might come close though. This'll be fun."

As the demons rushed onward towards them, they prepared for battle.

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I'm unhappy with this chapter for some reason. Is it just my imagination? Well, at least it's one of my longest, consider it your Christmas gift.

I have just one more thing to say, "Happy Christmas Eve Eve!".


	9. When Defenses Fall

Sorry it's a bit late, but it was a holiday weekend, so I've been unable to concentrate on writing. I'm only a day late, so no harm done. How many of you are dreading the return of school tomorrow? I sure am.

I have to write an essay for school tomorrow, so I don't have much time to go over this and make it longer. I'll look over it later this week if I'm not drowning in homework.

Well, enjoy the chapter. There is an attempt at a battle scene at the beginning, I'm not sure how good it is.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 8

It was unlike anything Yusuke had ever witnessed, and suddenly, everything made sense. As the demons rushed on towards them, he had been prepared to stand his ground, and assumed the same of the other two. But instead, they had been upon the enemy instantly. It was odd, his style was normally to charge wildly at the enemy, and Kurama's was to play with his prey and study his its movements. But in some strange twist of events, they had changed places.

Kuronue it seemed, had endless effects on Kurama's personality. Upon further observation, Yusuke realized that Kurama's style wasn't as different from usual as it had first appeared. The fox did indeed go out of his way to kill or maim the enemy, but his movements weren't pure violence. The way he moved spoke of strategy, as if he was fighting his way through a maze of demons. It seemed as if his sudden desire to kill hadn't made him any less strategic after all. As he took down one creature, he positioned himself in a safe position to take down the next.

And yes, he noticed all of this while fighting himself. A mere punch was enough for him to take out a large number of the attackers, he had definitely improved. After all of that intense training and self improvement that he had been through before he felt safe to return to Keiko these guys were like flies. So much for a challenge. So of course he had time to observe his allies, both of them. He was very curious about the abilities of the mysterious chimera that Youko had fallen in love with.

So he watched and he observed. And as he did so, he came to realize just how well matched the two thieves were. Kuronue appeared to be a skilled acrobat, every bit as nimble as any demon he had ever met. And his fighting technique was very unique as well. The bat fought with twin curved blades, but no matter how many times he lost them, they just kept reappearing in his hands. He and Kurama coordinated perfectly, each working efficiently through the demons, never leaving an enemy behind them, and always keeping the other in sight.

It was a miraculous sight to witness two experienced demons like them fight. There was one other thing that Yusuke began to realize after his observations as well. As the two demons fought, they required constant awareness of the other fighter and the enemies that surrounded them. Kuronue accomplished this easily. Kurama appeared to as well, but Yusuke eventually realized that as he fought, Kurama slowly became more aware and more confident in his movements. It seemed as if the kitsune was waking up as the battle went on, one sided though it was.

That's what drove Yusuke to stop fighting and stand back to watch. He knew that the other two had everything under control, and if this was helping Kurama to become more aware, then it was best to just get out of the way.

"Here Youko!" Kurama heard his master call. He leapt up above the demons and turned towards him. What he saw was a familiar piece of wood whizzing through the air. He reached out a hand and caught it easily, his fingers closing around the cylindrical wand. It was no longer than a spray can, and he could easily wrap his fingers around it. The grooves and perfectly shaped cuts in the wood each contained a seed that he had manipulated the wood to hold tightly in place. He felt a strange pulse go through him in time with his heartbeat.

He swung the wand down towards the nearest demon and as he did so, it grew into a staff. The creature's eyes rolled up and she hit the ground with a thud. Kurama smiled. This would help increase his power quite a bit. He frowned when the familiar scent of Kuronue's blood reached his nose. He cast a quick glance at his lover, seeing that it was only a minor flesh wound, and nothing to be concerned about. Nonetheless, he came to the decision that it was time to end this battle. It had gone on long enough.

_Let's see if our lovely Kuronue can keep up. _That surprised him, it was Youko's thought, right? Or was it his? Both, he decided. He and Youko had re-fused their minds during the battle, since their complete attention was on the creatures fighting in it. Both of them had united with a common goal, to protect Kuronue. When Shuuichi's mind had been so greviously affected by the loss of his mother, their souls had been thrown apart. Since then, Youko had remained mostly dormant while Shuuichi controlled their body.

Their gaze hardened as together they decided that it was time for this battle to end. There was no sudden noise, no visible change, but each demon could sense the change as soon as it occurred. Kurama's energy radiated out in waves, the combination of power was stronger and more intense than it had ever been. Clouds of dirt rose up at the force, enveloping the battlefield. When it faded, Kurama was standing back to back with Kuronue, his staff sharpened into a spear.

"It's time to finish this." he said in his _normal_ soft voice. Kuronue nodded, a delightful smirk touching his lips. Well Kurama thought it was delightful. The mark on his neck pulsed and filled him with Kuro's energy as he felt it wash over him. The one sided bond was empowering his desire to _serve_ Kuronue. At the moment, helping him defeat the enemies they were facing was the best way for him to do that.

The nearest pack of demons came at them, claws outstretched. Kurama leapt forward and speared two of them through the heart. Then he whirled in the opposite direction and with the other side, stabbed another. The edges turned sharp and sliced out of the bodies before he went after the next one. Beside him, Kuro was flashing his knives, taking out twenty or so before the first one hit the ground.

When he heard the sound of cutting air, he shuddered with excitement. It had been so long since he had heard his bat's pendulum attack. The thrill he got when fighting by his lover's side was something he had almost forgotten. But they were still just humoring the enemy. Kurama had the wood shift under his hand so the seed that he wanted would drop off into his hand. In a sudden surge of growth, his mimosa plant (I think that's the name, it was the one with teeth that went after Karasu) made it's appearance.

Kuronue stiffened instantly, casting a glare in his partner's direction. "Youko." he groaned. "You know I hate that thing." _Yep. _Kurama just grinned mischievously and fed it more energy, causing it to grow an extra head/flower.

The plant went after the oncoming demons savagely. The sound of screaming demons was quickly cut short as his plants consumed mouthful after mouthful of those insect-like creatures. Kuronue shifted slightly and grimaced when one of the flowers snapped at him. He hated this plant. Youko always insisted it had feelings, and they had gone after him when he _insulted them._ But in his opinion, Youko had full control over them and just enjoyed keeping him on his toes.

The battle had ended, but Youko hadn't made any effort to subdue his plant. One of the flowers moved down beside him, and he was slowly stroking it while waiting for Kuronue to move. Kuronue glared at him. "Why did you have to pick that one?" Kuronue whined, still standing where he was, refusing to get any closer.

"Revenge." was all Kurama said, his voice dripping with amusement. He walked over to Kuronue, leaving the plant threateningly where it was. "Also because they missed you." he stopped right in front of the bat, looking up at the figure that was over a head taller than him.

"You're back." Kuronue whispered softly, a relieved and joyful tone that only one who gets a loved one back could produce. Before Kurama knew what had happened, he had been struck across the face so hard that he barely managed to keep his footing. He put a hand to the stinging cheek, casting his gaze at the ground.

Yusuke had seen this whole exchange, and by this time was very confused. He was glad Kurama was back at least, but that nut job of a demon had just hit him! Yusuke grew angry at this, that bat was so bad to Kurama, and yet he and Youko had been in love? The chimera's behavior just didn't add up. He had witnessed that Youko cared for him, for some strange reason, and Kuronue had acted like he really cared as well. But the way he had been taking advantage of Kurama's pain over his mother's death was horrible. Maybe the bat had some kind of contempt for humans. Was it possible that Kurama's human side wasn't loved by Kuronue, just Youko?

When Kurama had felt the slap he had been surprised for sure. Kuronue had struck him before, it was just a method of punishment then though. Now they had finally been reunited, and the bat's first reaction was to hit him? What possible reason could he have to do that? Kurama had looked away and hidden his reaction while he tried to think of any reason at all. Could his love be angry at him? It didn't seem likely, and it hurt him to think of,

"Don't you **ever **do that to me again." His bat ordered in a shaky voice. So that was it. He'd been scared. _How dare he act like he's the one who's been wronged! _He wasn't upset anymore, he understood now. But it was anger that replaced his pain. He raised his head and was about to give a reply when something else caught his attention.

As Yusuke walked over towards the two lovers, he noticed Kurama's features become angry. Just as he was about to speak however, he saw Kurama close his mouth and turn his head in the direction he was approaching from. Kurama's gaze fell on him. Yusuke froze and watched his friend. "Hello Yusuke." he said with a mild amount of surprise in his voice.

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I finally figured out why I've been unsatisfied with this fic. I have been writing from a general point of view, trying to include the feelings and emotions of everyone present. But in It's a Secret, It was all done from one characters point of view. I am much more comfortable with writing like that, I just never realized it until now. So I think from now on my fic will be better and more interesting than it has been.

When I think about it, I realize how many demons it seems like their fighting. And in human world no less. So I'm going to explain that these creatures are smaller and spawn quickly, like the insects that Suzaku released, humans can't see them.

Well, this is RKF, signing off.


	10. In A Lover's Arms

I've been working my butt off on this chapter, so I really hope you like it.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 9

_Kurama's gaze fell on him. Yusuke froze and watched his friend. "Hello Yusuke." he said with a mild amount of surprise in his voice._

The shocked silence of the two succeeded in making Kurama feel uncomfortable. Both of them stood and stared at him for a while, until he began to think they had passed out while standing up. The sky began to cry, a slow, steady drizzle falling softly to the ground. The sudden feel of water against their skin snapped Yusuke and Kuronue out of their daze. "You're back!" Yusuke yelled, practically shaking with excitement.

"Well, yes... But what... what are you doing here?" Kurama had tilted his head to the side, and his face grew puzzled. He could tell by the comical, empty-eyed look that Yusuke was giving him that he _should_ know. He just didn't get it. Why would Yusuke be here, in the middle of the woods, with him and his lover? _Well..._ He quickly shushed the teasing voice that arose in response to the question.

"Hey man, don't worry about it." Yusuke rested a friendly hand on his shoulder, completely oblivious to the annoyed look Kurama shot his way. "As long as you're awake, I think I can safely leave you with bat man over here."

"Must you insist on calling me that?" Kuro groaned in exasperation. He bent down in front of Kurama and put his hands on his shoulders, like one would to a child. "Look foxy." he began, taking on an explanatory tone. "Your little friend here doesn't trust me, especially not around you. I invited him to come with us to ease his suspicions, and in case he had the ability to help you some way that I couldn't."

He released Kurama and took a step back. "Look, I'm just glad you're out of that daze. That's all that really matters now." _He's being unusually serious. _Kuronue smiled and closed his eyes, one hand rising to the fabric of his shirt. (If you can call it that) He gently slipped the sleeve down his arm, baring the creamy skin below.

At this, Yusuke leapt up. "Wait just a minute!" he screeched, quickly turning his back towards them. "Can't you guys at least wait until I'm gone before you start goin' at it?" Once again, he found himself ignored.

Kuronue's set gaze made it clear that he intended to make things right again. "I don't care if there are two of you. I can't take this anymore, so complete the bo-"

"No!" Kuronue was taken aback by Kurama's exclamation. Kurama saw this and turned his eyes away. The urge to just do as his love asked was so strong, so compulsive, that he could barely resist it. "I can't forget her, and I don't want to. She taught me kindness, she taught me to live again, she forgave me. Even if she never knew who I was, her love for me was unconditional, as was mine for her. It just doesn't feel right to let the event of her death, and the event of our union overshadow each other. So please Kuro... not yet."

Kuronue was certainly surprised by this. In a sorrowful and timid voice his love asked him this, a voice full of heartache. When Kurama looked up, his emerald orbs shining despite the darkness, Kuronue felt his heart flutter. He couldn't help but gasp at the sheer intensity held in his lover's gaze. It seemed that this request bore great importance to his fox, and that look in his eyes... Kuronue couldn't deny that that look was what scared him the most. It seemed to declare this moment a turning point, and to place the weight of what direction to choose on his back alone. Those emerald eyes held power, the power to judge, the power to condemn, and most importantly, the power to forgive.

A tremor went through the chimera's arm. Those eyes, he couldn't stand to look at them. So he tore his gaze away, clenching his eyes closed tightly, and hugged his body in an attempt to hold back the tremors that shook it. "If commanded too, would you do it?" He caught sight of the other boy, his eyes wide and awe struck. He saw that the boy watched Kurama, and for the first time was understanding just how deeply their love truly ran. He longed to have the courage to do what the boy was doing, and watch his kitsune.

But when he tried to find the strength to turn back around, an image of those eyes rose in his mind, and he could only hold himself tighter. "Only half of me..." Kurama began, his voice carrying within it, the undertones of a warning. "Only half of me swore an oath of obedience to you. Only half of me remains one of your thieves, but all of me asks you this. All of me pleads with you, just wait for me a little longer, just have faith." This last part came out as a barely contained sob, truly a sign of desperation.

Pain filling his heart, and desiring not to be seen in this state, Kurama stalked off quickly, soon vanishing into the darkness. As he faded into the night, Kuronue looked after him, the weight of Kurama's words etched into his face. Foxy actually thought Kuronue would do that to him, that was what hurt the most. How could he? After all of the years they had lived together, did Kurama honestly believe that he would ignore his feelings like that? If so, he intended to set things straight.

So he too vanished into the rain, being engulfed in darkness. Yusuke remained where he stood, staring at the spot where they had been. He understood now, just how great their love truly was. The burden that hung on both of them, it practically thickened the air that they breathed, Yusuke could feel it too. Panting, he sank to his knees in the mud, his forehead moving down to rest in the mud as well as grief clenched his heart in its fist.

"Kurama..." He had truly underestimated the depth of their feelings for one another. He had considered himself an expert on love, and up until just a few moments ago, he had doubted one of them. "If I just witnessed true love , then Keiko and I truly know nothing." The backlash of their feelings swept through him, and left him, a newly enlightened quivering mess.

As Kurama fled blindly through the woods, he could feel Kuro chase behind him and close in quickly. In the brief moment he allowed himself to worry about being found, his foot caught on a tree root protruding from the earth, and he was pulled to the ground. He didn't waste time though, he struggled to pull himself onward, ignoring his physical pain. A bit of tugging was all it took to rip his pant leg and shoe off, and free himself from the root. Time had been lost however, and he could feel Kuro's energy drawing nearer, this time from above him.

Once again, he forced himself onto his feet, and took off into the woods. Tears rolled freely down his face as he stumbled persistently onward. After what felt like hours of mindless sorrow, Kurama found himself at, of all places, his house. He knew that his heart had brought him here, he knew that he had to face Kuronue and let his pain be seen, that was the only way to heal. He owed it to Kuronue, Shiori, and most of all himself. So he stopped running and leaned against the side of his house, panting and clutching the shoulder that had been hurt when he fell.

Kuronue had slowed his pursuit when he realized where Kurama was. He set his feet on the ground and walked into the garden raised by Kurama's erratic energy the night of Shiori's death. He saw Kurama standing there waiting, sobbing silently with his face hidden behind a hand. "Youko?" he said not unkindly, putting a comforting hand on his back. One touch had Kurama flying into his arms hard enough to push them to the ground, and clinging to him as tightly as he could.

Seeing his love in this condition was almost more than the fun-loving bat could take. "Please Youko." he begged. "Just mark me. We don't need any more pain, we can be happy again!" he felt the trembling figure in his arms calm. Despite the clouds, moonlight peered through and shone down on them.

"Why?" Kurama turned his head upwards from his lover's chest. He looked down at a very sentimental Kuronue, and wondered why this had to be so hard. If he could just face up to him now... but no, he couldn't do that. Not yet at least. "I'm more subservient to you this way. You've always enjoyed having control over me whenever you could, so why should you object to it now?"

At this, a wry smile came to his chimera's lips. "How is it that you can still think that little of me?" Kurama's eyes widened. "Do I really seem that uncaring to you?"

"No, of course not!" Kurama assured him hurriedly. "I love you more than anything in the universe. I know you care for me as well. Shouldn't you like me better like this though? All I want is to make you happy. I don't mind being like this while I wait and recover. I'm not ready to mark you, but I would never think less of you for holding power over me! Never."

"Youko!" Kuronue snapped, flipping them so he hovered above Youko, an arm on either side of his head. "That's exactly what it means. Don't try to tell me that you believe I would ever desire you to be like this." he had Kurama's full attention now. "I love you with all of my heart, and I can't ever be happy if you aren't. You aren't a slave Youko. You may have been once, a lifetime ago, but you aren't now. I can never be happy with you behaving like you're lesser than me. I'm insulted that you think I would actually enjoy seeing you like this. I live to see that you're happy. I'll be the happiest once I've seen that all of your wishes come true!"

"I'm sorry..." Kurama reached out a hand and stroked his lover's cheek. "I didn't mean to think of you that way. I shouldn't have done that." he smiled sweetly at his bat. "But you don't have to worry about me. My only wish is, as it has always been, to be with you. My wish is your command love. As long as you're happy, I'll be fine." his voice was steady this time, reassuring and calm.

A dark, miserable chuckle slipped out of the bat's lips, Kurama just didn't understand the situation they were in. "The bond effects me too you know." He saw that Kurama didn't seem surprised in the least. "All of my senses scream that you're mine to do anything I want with. Even worse, I know this to be true. The longer our marking goes unfinished, the harder it gets for me to restrain myself." He relaxed his body, allowing it to rest gently against the smaller form below him. "Even now, the drive to torment you, to flaunt my power over you, continues to push at me. The longer we wait, the more I'll begin to mistreat you." Kuro made eye contact with his kitsune, hoping that he would relent, but somehow knowing that he wouldn't.

"It's alright." Kurama nodded at him. The only one I would ever surrender my mind to is you my love." He smiled a bit at the exasperation in Kuronue's expression. "My love for you will never change. I'm just not ready yet, so while you're forced to wait, you don't need to restrain yourself." Kuronue sighed in resignation of his soul mate's stubbornness.

Moving back off of Kurama, he couldn't help but start down memory lane. "Well, you can't deny that you got your request. Master Kuro is here, and it doesn't seem he shall be leaving anytime soon." He reached out and pulled Kurama over so they sat facing each other. "The situation is more drastic, but this reminds me of when you were a young apprentice. Even as I ordered you around I felt drawn to you. I would have never thought that those feelings would develop into love."

As he spoke Kurama had moved closer, and slipped his arms around him. It was a silent plea for love, for comfort and shelter from the tragedies that had, since the bat's death that had gone unconsoled. Kurama buried his face in Kuronue's shirt, unbothered by his rain-soaked skin. Kuronue smiled down on the needy creature and returned the embrace. "It'll be alright." He ran his fingers gently through the matted hair, working out the tangles as he soothed him. "It'll be okay, I'm here now. Everything will be fine." he felt Kurama slowly begin to relax in his arms and continued his soothing. "Shhhh, it's okay now, you don't have to cry anymore."

After a while, his grip had loosened, and he lay calmly against his bat. The pain hadn't left him, but with Kuro there, somehow everything seemed a little brighter. As long as they remained with each other, nothing could ever hurt him again. He leaned up slowly, hesitantly capturing Kuro's lips with his, relishing the taste. He closed his eyes as he allowed his lips to linger a moment longer before he pulled away. "I always wondered how it would feel for you to have me in this body. I was a bit distraught when we were together before, such a shame." his tone was breathy and seductive, no trace of shame to overshadow the implications of his words.

"You know I would never take advantage of you and take your body while you were upset, right?" He ran a hand absently up and down Kurama's side, fully intending to accept his offer.

"Yes love." Kurama captured the older demon's hand in his and pressed it to his lips, a tongue darting out to stroke one of the long digits. "I know that you only took me that first night. But I want you to know I don't mind whatever you wish to do to me now. It's my choice to leave you unmarked, and I'm the only one responsible for putting myself in this position." He drew two fingers into his mouth, sucking gently.

"Well I think -uhhh don't stop- that you know what I want to do now." He withdrew his fingers and pressed his lips harshly down on Kurama's, cutting off his breath. Their tongues darted out, seeking comfort in each other. Kuro's arms tugged insistently at the redhead's clothes, as the other's arms did the same to him. Passion blinded them now. Their past didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was that they were both hurting, and they desperately wanted to find comfort in the other's arms. They were just two lovers that fate had seen fit to reunite and allow to at last find happiness.

So there, in a sheltered garden sprung forth from pain, the seeds of love had once again been lovingly brought forth into their lives. The softly falling rain never lessened nor intensified as the two lover's put it out of their minds for the night. It almost seemed as if the rain was a testament that as long as their love survived, nothing else would hurt them again.

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That was longer than usual, but it seemed necessary. I hope you like the chapter, I know I do. Next chapter will be a bit fluffy, I decided that we needed a break from all this angst, though the end of that chapter may have a little. We'll also take a peek at how Hiei's doing. So that's all for this week, I'll see you next time on Words Once Spoken.


	11. With His Return

Not as much fluff as I had hoped, it seems that not only do I have no ability to write fluff, and that I blank out and get distracted if I try too. Oh well, we all have our weaknesses.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 10

The next morning the world spread out before them. The distant hills were outlined with orange as the sun peeked up over them. A light breeze slowly worked to dry the moisture left over from the rain and succeeded in creating a cool, breezy morning. At the same time, those with exceptionally good ears could hear the steady beat of water dripping onto the ground.

In Kurama's garden, the grass glistened with dew, but was too thick for mud to make its way through. Red hair sprawled out across the green blanket, as its owner lay there on his back. Kurama's head was thrown back, watching his lover contentedly. Kuronue's head was tucked against his neck, his long black hair cascading down over his lovers back. One of his arms was under Kurama's shoulders, and the other one was resting on against his stomach. Both of them glistened in a kind of afterglow, and the bath from the rain made them nice and clean.

Kurama groaned a little, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. In the past it hadn't bothered him, but his human form couldn't take as much weight. Kuronue had collapsed onto him and he hadn't moved yet. "What's the matter love?" Kuronue said, his lips brushing against the back of Kurama's neck.

The redhead reached back and tugged playfully at his bat's silky black locks. "You're heavy." he said it teasingly, but the warmth and happiness underneath it were unmistakable. He laughed as Kuronue rolled onto his back and pressed his chest against Kurama as he brought him around too. The feel of his bat lifting him sent chills over his skin, it was so wonderful to be with him again.

He adjusted them to a more comfortable position and wrapped the redhead in his arms. "I love you too foxy." He lowered his head and nuzzled Kurama's neck playfully.

The younger boy sighed contentedly and relaxed into his lover's embrace. "Shhhh." he shushed him, not wanting to break the peace of the moment. He felt a pause right before Kuronue reached up his hand and started petting Kurama's head where his ears would be. Kurama groaned and leaned back into his touch, enjoying the chilly feeling that spread through him.

Kuro pulled him into his chest harder, causing Kurama to jump at the sudden movement. The low chuckle from his bat caused him to glower playfully. "Not funny." he pouted.

Suddenly he was laid back on the ground with the older demon straddling his hips. "I missed you." he said, and engulfed Kurama's mouth with his own. Kurama kissed back heatedly, his tongue battling with the other's. As usual, Kuro won and slipped into his mouth, exploring every inch of it.

Hiei growled, a throaty growl that echoed through the forest. He didn't like this situation, not one bit. Sure the bat made Kurama happy, but Hiei hated how he was acting. The stupid kitsune seemed to like behaving like a slave, why else would he keep doing it? If he had just marked back and become an equal to the chimera, that was one thing. But he didn't, and now he could be seen trailing him through the city like a loyal puppy.

It was sickening to see such a strong willed demon reduced to that level, especially when it was his friend doing it. They both smelled like each other too, and that bothered him a little. Hiei knew it was just territorial instincts behind that, it hadn't been that long since they slept together, and it still felt as if Kurama belonged to him.

So he ended up following them with his Jagan, and as he did he just grew more and more upset with Kurama's behavior. Kurama trailed along beside Kuronue with his eyes cast down, and he took no notice of his surroundings. Kuronue was wearing a giant cloak, and with his wings, the shape looked very weird. People kept shooting strange looks at them, mostly suspicious, or if they knew Shuuichi, jealousy.

The two demons walked side by side down the sidewalk, not speaking or even acknowledging each other. Kurama appeared to be deep in thought, and Kuronue didn't show any expression at all. It annoyed Hiei when he couldn't read someone. With Kurama though, he could tell the thought was of a serious nature.

Kurama sighed, ever since that trip to makai, things just hadn't been going well for him. Instead of checking on his mom when he got back, he had gone out and gotten drunk, something he had never done as Youko. Why had he started here, when his life was so sheltered and simple compared to his old one? At some point he had changed, and not for the better.

He used to be a loose moralled thief and murderer, true. But the things that he wouldn't do, that he knew better that, he had forgotten as a human. That was a major difference between demons and humans, when it came to things like that, things that hurt you, humans were more likely to partake in those. And when he had become human, he too began to poison himself with those substances that he had once scorned. Drinking was something that dulled your senses, that made you do things you wouldn't normally do.

If he hadn't been out that night, he just might have been able to save Shiori. Kurama had no idea when his morals had changed, but with Kuro's return he felt like other things should return as well. _Never again._ Never again would Kurama do that. Never again would he allow himself to fall under the influence of another substance like that. He would never put himself in a situation where he wasn't there to protect Kuro, as he had been unable to do for his mother.

That was the only thing he could do. For Kuro, and for his mother. Everything going on confused him. He fought against the hormones that rampaged through him because of the mark on his neck, and at the same time he resisted the pain of Shiori's loss. Not only that, but he possessed an almost obsessive desire to punish the demon who harmed his mother. _I know who you are, murderer. And rest assured, you will be punished._

Hiei noted the glazed over look in Kurama's eyes and understood they meant he was planning something. The fox snapped out of his daze when the stupid bat called to him. A growl rose, unbidden, in Hiei's throat. He absently stroked his neck where it was vibrating to calm it down as he kept his gaze locked on Kurama. Soon he would be called back to border duty by Mukuro, that definitely did not seem pleasant to him.

He watched as Kurama ran to catch up with the bat and wrapped an arm around his waist. The taller demon leaned over to whisper something in his ear, drawing a laugh from the redhead's lips. He glared at them from afar as they moved away from the city and into a more secluded park area. He saw the redhead straddle the chimera's waist as he leaned against a tree and gestured for the redhead's company.

Hiei felt his fingers clench into fists as the fox reverently lowered the other's hood and leaned in to lustily kiss him. He tried to hold his temper in check as the bat's hands wandered over Kurama's back, moving lower until they firmly clenched his rear. But as his friend's head was directed to pleasure the other's neck, he felt himself lose control of it.

Kurama did as Kuro asked and moved his attention lower, reaching up the back of his shirt as he did so. Upon a moan from Kuronue, he smirked. "How's that love?" Kuro pulled his lips back down insistently, silencing any thoughts of conversation that entered his mind. He pulled back when he felt Hiei's energy approaching, fast.

"Hello Hiei." he said in a breathy, cheerful voice. Kuro tensed briefly then leaned back against the tree. "What brings you here?" a light giggle escaped his lips as Kuro bucked against him playfully.

He was taken by surprise as the jaganshi's fist met with his head and he was thrown off of his bat's lap. He looked up at Hiei, shock reflecting in his emerald eyes. "You..." he snarled, his three eyes burning with an eerie light. "You're nothing but that stupid bats whore!"

Kurama appeared more or less unaffected by Hiei's words. "What's wrong with that?" he asked, knowing that would bother him. Hiei froze, his eyes looking down at his friend, confusion, loss, and disappointment all present in his eyes. Then he turned away and vanished, leaving them sitting there staring at the spot where he had been.

**To be continued...**

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Well there's the rest of it. Hope you enjoyed.


	12. Beneath the Full Moon

Well, I'm back! I'm so sorry I'm late, I feel awful. The week after I posted the last chapter, I posted the second half of it, but I don't think there was any way for any of you to know that, so I'm telling you here. I've been having some writers block lately, and not nearly enough motivation to write this chapter. But ski week cured all that, so here's the next chapter, I hope it makes up for the long wait.

**Warning: dark chapter ahead, enjoy!**

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 11

The next days went by in a haze. They came and went without much change. Kurama and Kuronue spent all of their time together, and Kurama continued to refuse to mark Kuronue. Slowly but surely, Kuronue was losing his grip on his control. Kurama didn't seem to care when his bat expressed concern though, he merely smiled and stubbornly insisted he didn't mind.

They spent most of their time at Kurama's, but they would have to stop soon. Kurama's step family would be returning from their father son bonding trip in a few weeks, then they would find out about Shiori. Kurama didn't want to be around when that happened. Because of that, he was determined to resolve his trouble with Kuronue before they returned.

At the time, they were in the middle of a heated make out session. Kuronue grinned and ran his hands over Kurama's rear as the redhead skillfully ravaged his mouth. Kurama squeaked when he felt a pinch from his lover's wandering fingers, and it quickly became a whine when he was held at arms length. "Shut up." Kuronue's dark tone had him serious in an instant. The grin had suddenly transformed into a more malicious smirk, threatening and sadistic.

Kurama trembled slightly as he stared at his lover. Though he assured Kuro that it was alright, these moods frightened him. The bat stood up and circled his still kneeling companion with a very predatory look on his face. Kurama's eyes followed Kuro, but otherwise he didn't move a muscle. He felt strong hands on his shoulders loosen the collar of the lavender kimono Kuro insisted he wear. "Up." with the simple command Kurama rose smoothly to his feet, still silent.

He felt Kuronue slip the kimono from his shoulders and let it drop to the ground. He was completely bare underneath. The Kitsune winced as he felt sharp fangs dig into the side of his neck. At times, Kurama suspected Kuro was a vampire bat. He hated it when his partner decided to draw blood, and it seemed to happen every time he was like this. But still, even if he didn't like it, he had to steel himself and do what was necessary.

"Kuro..." he whined as he saw him pull back, a trail of blood dripping over his chin. Amber eyes hardened in anger and he was backhanded onto the floor. A soft cry escaped his lips as his body bounced against the ground, worsening the impact. He was quickly turned onto his stomach and mounted without a second thought from his lover. His squirming seemed to cause excitement more than anything, and his protests were ignored.

His wriggling moved him until he was tilted enough to see Kuro's face. His eyes grew fearful when he did, for the possessive look held there promised something unpleasant. He realized then that he really didn't want this. No matter what, he didn't want Kuro to take him while in one of these moods. Apparently he had unconsciously fought harder, because he felt his arms forced back and restrained in one of Kuro's.

Coming back to his senses, he quickly forced himself to go limp, knowing that he couldn't disobey, but he needn't participate either. Apparently the resigned look in his eyes was enough to make Kuro start. He felt the fingers around his wrists release him, right before his love swung his legs off and rose. A few steps toward the bed and he stopped. "Go bathe, you're covered in sweat." The command was a bit icy, but it was his Kuronue that said it. _He's back. _Youko almost seemed to be pouting in his mind.

Sighing, he slipped into the bathroom, not bothering to fetch clothes. The shower would be faster if he didn't wait for the water to heat, but he didn't exactly look forward to going back into his room. Despite himself and every self preservation instinct in his body, he chose not to wait.

When Kurama got back into his room it was completely dark. He heard a sob and scanned the room until he found Kuro. His bat was a mess, hair down and tangled for whatever reason. Kuronue was sitting with his back to the wall, his knees bent close to his body, and his face buried in a hand, as well as behind his hair. "Youko?" he muttered softly. For some reason, Kuro continued to address him by his old name instead of using Kurama.

He approached softly, and lay himself on the floor by his grieving love. He rested a head on his thigh and nuzzled a bit. When he didn't get a protest he reached farther up his legs, causing Kuronue to jump slightly and look down at him. He smiled obediently, ready to pleasure his lover like every night and cheer him up some. "No...not now." Kuronue's voice was completely serious, a worried undertone making it quaver. He ignored the confusion on his partner's face and pushed the redhead back to his thigh, stroking the silky hair that rested on his leg.

"I'm scared." In all of their years together, Youko had never once heard Kuronue admit fear, yet here he was, doing just that. "I was really ready to hurt you that time. My mind was perfectly clear, and yet I was looking forward to forcing you." The hand roaming through his hair tightened momentarily. That was enough for Kurama to know what was coming.

"Please love?" Kuronue pleaded softly. "Please mark me, I don't know how much longer I can restrain myself." he had asked this repeatedly, and this time was no different than the last.

Sure Kurama wanted to end this danger in their relationship, that would make him very happy. But there were some things even Kuro couldn't make him do. "I can't do that, and you know it." In truth, he knew Kuronue didn't understand his reasons for not wanting to mark him, just as he had no special desire to explain them. "It just wouldn't be right to allow mother's death and our union to eclipse one another. I won't do that to either of you."

He pushed himself up and looked into Kuro's tearful eyes. "I love you." he said, pushing his lips gently against the other's. "No matter what you do, know that I could never blame you for it. I am the one who will not mark you, remember that." The smaller boy curled up in between his lover's legs contentedly, hoping that was the end.

Kuronue didn't really understand why his Youko was doing this to him. Didn't he get it, this was serious. If this didn't end soon, he would be hurt! "But sometime soon, I can feel it, I'm going to hurt you. Don't you want to prevent that?" but he received no answer. He could tell his love wasn't asleep, but apparently that was a question he just didn't want to answer. And so he settled down for the night. For the first time since they were reunited, they didn't make love.

_It was nighttime. Not the regular deep blue that comes with the absence of the sun, but a deep black, omnipresent darkness. Dark clouds had gathered, concealing the moon, if there even was one. It was a night of terror, where everything stood still. It was a night of murderers, a night for foul deeds to be done. If nights were weapons, this one would kill. _

_An ominous breeze swept through the park, threatening all who walked it that night. The terror in the air was enough to make even the trees tremble with fright. Through the trees the wind swept, across the sidewalk and over the fountain, until at last coming to a stop when it came to the park bench where a woman sat. And in the shadows, above her head, blinked the fiery eyes of an obsidian bat. _

_She sat on the bench, wistfully dreaming of days long departed, times from the past. Grey-black hair blowing, she felt the eerie wind as it passed. Shuddering, she pulled her jacket closer and jumped to her feet. Even as she did, she heard hurried footsteps on their way down the street. When she looked for the source of the noise, she found nothing. Her eyes became panicked as she her breath grew uneven, huffing and puffing. Her arms wrapped securely around herself, as she looked left and right. Finding nothing, but feeling watched, she felt the need to get out of sight._

_All pleasant memories escaping her mind, she turned from the park and hurried away. As she began to move, she heard something behind her, much to her dismay. She whirled to face the echoing squeak and the ominous flutter, only to find nothing instead of facing another. Unnerved, she turned and ran, all caution fleeing. She fled from a demon, this was no human being. _

_As if her fear spurred their hunger, behind her they gave chase. Thousands of bats, eyes blood red followed at an incredible pace. A scream tore from her throat as they came upon her. Fangs dug into her flesh, fresh for the slaughter. Vampire-like, they sucked in her blood, wretched delight in their eyes as they struck. Quickly they fed, and left her body behind, limbs torn to pieces, and empty eyes blind. _

_Above the spot where her body lay shattered, up in the sky, stormy clouds gathered. And in the darkness flashed empty red eyes. Burning with hatred, they marked her demise._

Kurama sat with a start. It took him a moment to get his bearings. When he realized he was held securely in his sleeping lover's arms, he relaxed with a sigh. Ever since Shiori had died, those nightmares had haunted his sleep. The dreams were always of her being ripped apart, and usually by bats. He knew that these dreams were part of the reason he wouldn't mark Kuro, he didn't want his bat to know about them. And more than anything else, he knew that he would be unable to bring himself to mark Kuro until he had gotten his vengeance.

As he had told Kuro many times, he would not allow one great change in his life to overshadow the other. The one thing his bat hadn't realized was that he was out for revenge. He sighed again and gazed up at the nearly full moon. It was almost morning, and tonight was the full moon. They would be going to the woods tonight, Kurama was certain. His blood was awakened, stirred by the soon to be full moon, and he knew without a doubt that something would happen. He settled back against Kuro's chest and closed his eyes. It would be morning soon, and he needed to rest. Hopefully everything would work out for the best. Tonight, one way or another, everything would be determined.

**That Night**

Kurama gave a quiet laugh and took off into the woods ahead of Kuronue, who followed quickly. It was a beautiful night, though cloudy, moonlight shone through. Kurama felt chills run down his spine as he was pursued through the woods. This was exciting, to be hunted again, and by one that he wouldn't mind being caught by. He felt Youko stirring in him, heightening his senses, making this a good chase. Even though he knew Kuro would catch him in the end, he had managed to convince himself he had a chance of escape.

It was impossible to say what it was for sure, but something was stirring within them. They hadn't done anything yet, but Kurama's body was already crying to be taken. Tonight, there were no limitations. Tonight, beneath the full moon, everything would be confronted, their hearts, and their love. Behind him, his heightened senses told him Kuro was already as exhilarated as he was, if not more so. The space between them was closing quickly as his bat took advantage of his wings to boost his speed.

His foot tapped lightly against another tree as he propelled himself farther from Kuro, hoping to draw out the chase. One wrong maneuver, one falter, would end the game. This was _their _dance, one that they had performed many times. Yet each time, it grew more exciting and more complex. Kurama's hair flew back behind him, wild and unrestrained, as he flew through the trees. All of the branches he passed moved to block the path of his hunter, and were detached from the trees just as quickly.

His body had never felt this nimble, this wild, this free. Never in his human lifetime had Kurama experienced anything like this. He needed to feel the night air against his skin, to be free of all restrictions. So twisting, he threw off his jacket, revealing his bare chest underneath. This was freedom, this was what he had been missing!

Once again, he propelled himself off of a tree, all of the branches ahead of him parting, giving him space to soar. He could feel Kuro a tail's width away from him, reaching out to grab him. He reached up and grabbed a branch, swinging up around it and letting Kuro pass by. Then he turned and vanished into the trees again.

He felt Kuro's speed practically double as he came upon him. Then something rammed into him from behind, Kuro's arms in an x shape, meant to shelter himself from the impact. With a gasp, the air was stolen from his lungs, as he came crashing down to the rocky earth, his head smashing against a tree as he struck. Still exhilarated by the pure, unrestrained force, Kurama managed to stay conscious. He felt a knee pressing into his stomach as the remnants of his clothing were tugged from his body.

A tightly controlled gasp of pleasure fled his lips when lips crashed down against his neck, roughly ravishing his skin. He glanced up, his eyes meeting hungry, fearsome red. "No." it came out as no more than a whisper. His Kuro had been lost again, replaced by this monster. Clawed hands grabbed his hips and pressed his now struggling body against the ground. A longer body lowered its weight down onto him, pinning him where he lay.

Kurama fisted his hands into silky black locks as Kuro bit down against him, not bothering to lap up the dark red liquid that beaded at the surface of his skin. Then, with fangs and claws, Kuro ravaged his lover's body.

If anyone had been in the forest that night, it would have been impossible not to hear the scream that tore through the night as it tore out of the fox's throat. The mixture of pain and grief in that cry was enough to push anyone over the edge. But behind the grief, and behind the pain, there was something far more primal. This was a howl of fury, one that spoke of revenge.

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Well that's that. Aren't you happy I updated? I'm so so so sorry I took so long to do it, I really am. I'll try to make up for it, I promise. So what'd ya think of this chapter? Like it or hate it, please let me know. Next chapter will be the moment you've all been waiting for (probably), so I'll get it out asap.


	13. Revenge and Resolution

Here it is, the much-anticipated moment. I got really into this chapter, and I hope you do too. Also, I have two very important questions at the end of the chapter. So now, without further adieu, here's chapter 12!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 12

Kuronue awoke to the feel of sunlight on his face. His eyes became visible as he lay there, numbed still by the paralysis of sleep. Then slowly, nebulous memories of the previous night flooded into his mind like a river into an ocean. Kuronue instantly leapt to his feet, unprepared for the sudden lightheadedness that possessed him. He stumbled backwards into a tree, by good fortune alone remaining on his feet.

Unbidden, shivers unfolded across his skin, and something, _something _tried to force it's way into his mind. "No." It came out as a breathless whisper, slipped out between labored breaths. He buried his face in his pale, slender fingers. It couldn't be, it was just impossible!

When he had first seen Youko, a tattered silver beauty making his way through the woods, he had been intrigued. Certainly a silver Youko would make an interesting conquest, he had thought. One night, that was all he had intended to take. But something about that boy, the deep intelligence, or perhaps the haunted golden eyes, had called out to him. Perhaps it was that, much as he had, the boy was fleeing from his old life to start anew, running from his very being.

He'd brought Youko back with him, determined to puzzle out what it was that so intrigued him. At first it was purely lust that drove him to take the kitsune into his bed each night. That's what he had told himself at least. Slowly, grudgingly, he had begun to realize just what called out to him. It wasn't so much that they were alike in pasts, but their very _souls_ had been drawn to each other. Youko, he realized, was his other half.

And from then on, there had been meaning in his life. For upon that realization he ceased to live for himself. From that moment forward, he had another being he wanted to protect. He had Youko, and because of that, everything had changed. He was content. For the first time in his life he was happy right where he was. His reckless abandon and carelessness regarding his own life vanished, replaced by his all consuming love for his fox.

Kuronue hesitantly raised his gaze, fearing the sight that awaited him. Why had this happened? Did fate have to throw every possible obstacle into their path? He had no doubt that Youko was his soul mate, but maybe that wasn't enough anymore.

Nothing was visible at first, nothing but the twigs and brush inbred into the earth. But then his eyes caught sight of red hair, and became riveted to the spot. "Youko." He breathed, transfixed at the sight of his broken form. Was this what fate had in store for them? Could nothing come of their love but endless pain?

For so many years, they had been together. They stayed alive for each other. Happy, peaceful, and full of love, it was only natural that it had come to an end. Yomi had sought to come between them; he had sought to take Kurama as his own. And Kuronue had been deceived by what his eyes told him. He had blamed Youko, and not even bothered to listen to his explanation.

Eventually he came to realize that if Youko had betrayed him, he would have known. The demon mating mark upon their necks ensured that he would have known of any infidelity. He realized this too late. His pendant had fallen, and he had gone back to retrieve it. Foolish, yes, but he couldn't bear to leave it behind.

His own stupidity had him pinned. Youko turned back, intent on saving him. Kuronue had known though, the situation was hopeless for him. "Run," he had told his lover. "Save yourself." It was the only unselfish thing he had ever done. The act in itself was a testimony to just how great a change Youko had made in him. If Youko was alive, he would be all right, as long as his other half remained.

And as he had predicted, Youko had survived, and everything was okay again. They had been reunited, and once again, his stupidity was quickly becoming their downfall.

Kuronue reached out, stumbling unsteadily towards the limp figure among the brush. Tears threatened to fall as more and more of his lover's body came into view. And upon the full sight of Kurama's body… "Oh shit." The trembling worsened with the pounding of his heart.

Reeling, vision blurred, he landed beside the still form with a resounding thud. Was he even alive? His skin was so pale. A sob escaped his moistened lips. This was his doing; he was responsible for all of this. Was it even possible for them to just live happily?

He reached out to touch him, his fingers feathery, just meeting the surface. The response was instantaneous. Kurama whimpered in pain as he was drawn back into awareness. Kuronue made no effort to stop the flow of tears that stained his cheeks. Youko, his Youko, was alive.

Those emerald eyes blinked open and settled upon him placidly. And as soon as he met Kurama's gaze, he knew just what would happen. He would be forgiven, told everything was all right. Just as he had been, Kurama would say that he didn't mind, because he had chosen this.

But it wasn't okay. Those gashes in Kurama's sides, those bloody cuts covering him, and especially the dark bruises that marred his beautiful skin, those things told him otherwise. He noticed that Kurama's head was bend awkwardly, and his hair was matted with blood. The memory rose to the surface, his body crashing to the ground, his head cracking against the tree.

And he couldn't even blame Youko for this. Youko's mother had died, and Kuronue had seen firsthand the grief that had caused him. He knew his soul mate well enough to understand that Kurama wouldn't be satisfied until he did something to avenge the human woman's death.

Doubt gnawed away at his thoughts, nagging him to do _something._ With the way things were going, love might not be enough to keep them together. Last night had been a turning point, he realized. It had been a test, and he had failed it. Despite how much he loved Kurama, he had hurt him. How could he ask to be forgiven?

So he prepared to do the hardest thing he had ever had to do. "Youko," he began softly. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you." He saw the redhead open his mouth to protest and raised a finger to his lips. "Not just what happened last night. That was somewhat justified, though I do apologize for that also."

Kuronue slid back enough so that he could bow, forehead to ground. "But what I'm about to say will hurt you even more than that. I have no expectations of forgiveness, nor do I ask it of you."

He sat back up and clenched his hands in his lap. "You may never want to forgive me for this, but for better or worse, I need to tell you what happened that night." Fear made a pit out of his stomach, yet still he managed to steady his hands.

"When I was returned to life, I found myself at the spot where my body was buried. I knew it must have been you who buried me there, since the grave was marked with a single blossom." He glanced up quickly towards Kurama, who showed no signs of emotion. "I wanted to find you right away, but I knew I wouldn't find you in that realm."

He could practically feel the questioning gaze directed at the top of his head. "You see, I pestered king Enma for years, trying to convince him to return me to life. After years, he suddenly agreed, saying there was one condition. As you can guess, I was willing to agree to anything, as long as I could see you again." As the words tumbled out, they began to flow more easily.

"He told me of your almost death. He told me how you resided in a human body. I was so proud; you had used the spell that we found together. And then he told me that he didn't want demons as powerful as you residing in Ningenkai. The condition was to bring you back to Makai, Youko." He cast another guilty glance at his lover.

"I returned to our camp, and surprisingly, it remained intact. For several weeks I remained there, until I left to find you." The tears had stopped now. The forest hushed, as though it also listened to his words.

"So I traveled to Ningenkai, ready to find you. And when I did, I was shaken. There you were, so different than I remembered you." Kuronue sighed; regret was a hard sensation to bear. "I wanted to approach you right then, but I was unable to act on that desire. Fear overwhelmed me, 'what if you were different? what if you no longer wanted me?' I was unwise in that.

"Then I saw you with _her. _I was appalled at the display of your obvious affection for her. I never once doubted your love of her, but never once did I understand its true depths."

He faltered here, but his will remained contrite and resigned to see this through. "For the first time since making the deal with Enma, I questioned whether or not you would come back with me.

"If only I could have seen through your eyes, through your heart! Maybe then I would have understood what I missed. She was your mother. I knew this, and yet grew envious of her. I felt as though she had replaced me." Kuronue slumped, hiding his face behind his hands. It was like the weight in his heart was pulling him down.

"When you left your home, I waited nearby instead of following you. After a day passed, I realized you must be doing something elsewhere. So I sat down and waited, contemplating how to approach you. Another day passed, and I began to grow worried. It was strange, you used to leave home for days, and I never once worried. But for whatever reason, I did so now."

Kuronue had no idea what Youko was thinking through all of this, his frozen exterior was impenetrable. However he looked at the situation, whether he continued or not, it seemed he would lose Youko. Terror gripped his heart and squeezed. If he had the choice, he chose to give his love closure, rather than selfishly hanging on while Youko suffered.

"I waited all through the day, and part of the night. By then, I just couldn't sit still and await you any longer, so I decided to go out and look. Naturally, I went to the place where _she_, your mother, lived. You weren't there. I was ready to leave when I saw her. And at that moment, I knew what I had to do." His heart was pounding so fast it felt as though it would burst through his chest. Then he managed to say, just barely loud enough to be heard…

"I'm the one who killed her."

His body instantly tensed, waiting for a scream, a cry, deadly vines, anything. But instead, he heard absolutely nothing, not even a change in his breathing pattern. Slowly, hesitantly, Kuronue raised his head to see Kurama's. And he nearly had a heart attack.

Of all the things he had expected to see, grief, rage, pity, even hatred, this was completely unexpected. His love was smiling. He had just confessed to killing the human, and Youko was _smiling!_ He was confused now, what possible reason was there to smile?

"What?" he asked, still cringing. Though he wasn't sure that he wanted to know the answer.

"I know." Kurama said, his voice surprisingly stable despite his condition. Kuronue felt his mouth drop open, and he was unable to say anything. "When I saw her body, I knew right then. The way the cut on her neck was delivered so precisely she wouldn't have felt a thing, and the way your energy had coursed through her, ripping her already dead body into pieces, how could I not connect that to you? "

Fear was all encompassing for Kuronue. He had known? Why hadn't he said anything, given some sign that he was angry at him? He had confessed fully prepared for death, or at least to never see his mate again. It was his stupidity that had led them down this path, and now he would pay for it. That's what he had expected. Yet once again, his fox had completely changed everything. It was as if he stood, completely immune to the whims of fate.

"I wanted revenge." There, he had said it. Wait, _wanted?_ "Didn't you wonder why, even after I recovered from the initial grief, I continued to act so obsequious?" Youko continued to smile as he spoke. "I know you better than anyone. I knew what would get to you the most was _my_ pain, _my_ suffering." Kuronue was beginning to understand now; did Kurama claim he had already gotten revenge?

"So I continued to stubbornly refuse to mark you. I couldn't very well have you feeling what I was feeling; you'd know that I was vengeful. Did you ever once realize that seeing me afraid of you, seeing me continue to grieve, is the most painful thing I could have forced you to endure?" Kurama sighed. "I'll admit it wasn't particularly enjoyable to deal with your mood swings. I decided that if I drove you to the point where you were completely miserable, to the point where you would admit to killing mother, I could forgive you."

Kurama's arms encircled him carefully, making sure not to press his injured torso against Kuro's. "Because I couldn't very well hate my other half. That would be hating myself." His lover's eyes smiled into his. "I love you, and nothing; no anger, no suffering, can ever change that."

And just like that, all of his doubt washed away. He was meant to be with Kurama, and he knew that, no matter what, he always would be. "Then mark me." He said, breath catching in his throat. His disbelief had faded, but this still felt impossible. "Bind us together again."

Kurama smiled and moved his head up over his lover's bare chest. His cold nose nuzzled the spot where his mark had once resided. Then, Kuronue could swear he saw Youko and Shuuichi separate, yet remain in the same spot. A sharp pain burst through his skin as fangs sunk into his flesh. Kuronue gasped as another energy swept through his body, completing him.

And then, at last, he was alive again.

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And there you have it. I really loved writing this chapter, and I think it turned out very well. I realized that the endless angst was getting old, so there will be some lightheartedness next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think.

**Important:** I have two things I need to ask you now.

**A)** There are two things I can do for the next chapter. I can show the return of Kurama's stepfamily and have a confrontation with them. That would probably be fun to write (They'd meet Kuronue). Or I can just skip past that and have them go to Makai. That will happen anyway, so I'm asking you if you want the confrontation first.

**B) **I have a crossover story I want to write, but that requires people to know about the other show. Well not really, since I'm going to be very thorough and explain everything. But just to get an idea, how many of you have seen/read Spiral? Please tell me, I really need to know.


	14. A Path, Once Chosen

I only got two votes against a confrontation, so here it is. It might not last the whole chapter, we'll see.

I'm so sorry for how late this is. I had major writer's block. I must beg your forgiveness!

This chapter isn't as long as I would have liked, but after weeks of being stumped, it came out pretty well. I wish there was some way to make up for it. Well, here it is.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 13

From that moment forward, Youko and Kuronue made their peace. With Shiori's death, though both regretted it, Kurama's strongest ties to humanity were severed. Now they were free to return to Makai, free to go home. There was but one thing left to do, face Kurama's stepfamily.

He was prepared to do it on his own, but Kuronue refused. He was the one who killed Shiori, and he wished to be there too. How could Kurama refuse a request like that? He consented, but insisted on picking them up himself.

Kurama took his mother's car and drove to the airport, then briskly headed to meet his family. He got there just as the flood of passengers poured into the station. All around him, people kept giving him odd looks. He must be quite a sight, dressed all in black and waiting solemnly among the press of people.

Then among the crowd, he spotted the familiar faces of Hatanaka and Shuichi. His breath caught as he looked at their happy faces, knowing that they would soon be feeling quite different. They waved and called out to him, smiling amiably without any concern.

As they approached, his stepfather noticed that he looked very somber, and his outfit probably alerted him to the fact that something was wrong. "Hey." Shuichi greeted, coming to a stop by his side. "What's with the black?"

Kurama didn't answer and instead looked upon Hatanaka, waiting for the inevitable question. "What's wrong Shuuichi?" he said quietly, earning a questioning glance from his son. Kurama just shook his head and walked away, indicating for them to follow.

They walked out to the car in silence. The other two seemed to know that he would answer in his own time. They slipped into the car, Kurama at the wheel, and set out for home.

They drove along the highway as the sun was setting. About an hour from the airport, they drove into a tunnel and were plunged into darkness. Kurama decided this was as good a time as any to begin talking. "A few weeks ago, I was returning from a party of sorts at about one in the morning, and I walked by mother's house.

"I was a bit disoriented, but as I walked by, I just had a feeling that something was wrong. So I went around the side of the house to get inside, and I saw that the living room window was broken. Then, I moment later, I saw her…"

Kurama's voice had remained steady up until now, but reliving the night he found his mother's body brought back that overwhelming grief. There was no question from his stepfather about what he meant when he said he saw her. "How badly is she hurt?" He asked, hoping that that horrible feeling he had was misplaced.

"It looked like she had been ripped to pieces…" Kurama sobbed as they exited the tunnel. "I nearly lost it at that point, I'm surprised I didn't faint." He heard a strangled gasp from Shuichi and a silent word of denial from Hatanaka.

"One of my friends showed up, he's always wandering around at night, and found me there. As soon as he saw me, he called Kuwabara and another friend, Yusuke, to come and be with me…" Kurama's voice trailed off as they came to a stop in front of the house.

Without a word, Hatanaka got out of the car and walked toward the door. Shuichi stayed where he was, completely overwhelmed by what he had just learned. Kurama gently placed a hand on his shoulder and gestured for him to get up.

They stepped up to the front door and paused. "I was completely out of my mind for weeks, there was no room in my mind to think of trying to get a hold of you." Kurama turned the knob and pushed the door open, he hadn't bothered to lock the door.

They all walked into the pitch-black living room and Hatanaka switched on the lights. Kuronue sat there waiting patiently on the couch. His wings were carefully folded under his cloak, but his long, pointed ears were exposed.

The moment the lights came on, Kuronue's eyes snapped open, and crimson eyes met green ones. "Who are you?" Hatanaka asked sternly. Kurama moved without hesitation to kneel on the ground by Kuronue's legs.

"This," he told them, "is Kuronue." He turned his head to the side and let it rest on Kuronue's legs. Kuronue unconsciously began stroking his hair back out of his face. "We knew each other a long time ago, and if not for him, I probably wouldn't be sane right now."

"I'm glad to finally meet you." Kuronue said as he gazed lovingly at the boy resting on him. "I'm truly sorry that it was not under better circumstances."

Hatanaka narrowed his eyes at the way this man was touching his stepson. "And how exactly did he manage that?" he asked coldly.

"He stayed with me at all times." Shuuichi informed him. "He comforted me, and he helped me stop crying." Red locks shifted as Kurama turned his head upward to see Kuro's. "He took me away from this place for a while, and he gave me a reason to keep living."

"It was the least I could do to make everything up to you dear." Kuronue told him softly.

"You!" Hatanaka snapped, his eyes clouding in outrage. "How dare you take advantage of Shuuichi while he was grieving his mother's murder!" He approached Kuronue with clenched fists.

Shuuichi jumped up and spread his arms out between Kuronue and his stepfather. "Hatanaka, he didn't-"

"-Step aside Shuuichi." Hatanaka grabbed him by the shoulder and thrust him out of the way. The redhead stumbled onto his knees and barely managed to keep his head from hitting the table.

"Shu, you okay?" Shuichi approached his stepbrother in concern and offered him a hand. Kurama nodded and rose up off the ground. "What's wrong with him?" Kurama heard the boy next to him whisper worriedly.

"You'll understand one day when you're in love." Kurama murmured as he watched the staring contest between his lover and stepfather, deciding to watch it play out.

Kuronue glared at the mortal in anger. He couldn't care less about the mortal's accusation, for it was true in a certain respect. But the way he had just pushed the kitsune aside, nearly causing him injury; that was unforgivable.

"And why sir, do you assume that I have taken advantage of your son?" Kuronue asked, rising to his feet and looming a few heads above the human.

"The way you were touching him, clearly!" Hatanaka snarled. "I have never known him to be so subservient. If he weren't upset, he would have never allowed anyone to touch him like that."

At this, Kuro's anger erupted. "You dare to criticize me for the way I touch him!" Hatanaka winced, as the Chimera seemed to rise up before him. "And yet I'm not the one who just shoved and nearly wounded him!"

Hatanaka looked surprised. "Shuuichi?" he said, whirling to face the redhead. "Are you alright?"

Kurama walked over to stand by Kuronue's side. "As I said, I already knew him before. And besides that, he could have taken advantage of me as much as he wanted while I was upset. The fact is that he didn't. Anything we did was at my urging."

Kuronue wrapped an arm around Kurama's hips and pulled him against his side. "I'm glad I came when I did, who knows what would have happened if I had left him with you any longer." Kuronue addressed Kurama, "Come on, we're leaving."

Hatanaka stubbornly refused to move from their path. The lovers met his stern gaze and held it for what seemed like an eternity. With a deep exhale, Hatanaka let his face fall. He wasn't an angry man defending his wife's son any longer; he was just a grieving husband.

As if all anger flooded out of him, Hatanaka sat back on the sofa and said resignedly, "Just go then." There was an underlying message in the man's words. He didn't expect to see his stepson again, in fact, he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

So they left. In complete silence, they exited the house and walked down the street. Kurama kept his eyes turned down. Though he hadn't expected a great parting, this hadn't been as satisfying as he felt it should have been. They should have given Shiori's murder time to sink in before introducing Kuronue.

"Shu!" Kurama heard the call and stopped. He heard the sound of running footsteps stop a few feet behind him. He waited, for once in his life uncertain if he wanted to turn around.

A nighttime silence surrounded them. Then, with a smile, Kurama raised one hand above his head in a goodbye gesture. A second later, he and Kuronue continued to walk down the street. Shuichi stood there long after they faded into the night. He would always wonder what had become of his mysterious older brother.

Even if they weren't related by blood, and even if they never saw each other again, Shuuichi would always be his brother. "Goodbye, Shu…"

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And that's a wrap. (At least for this chapter.) Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay. It might be a few weeks before I am able to update again, I have a project to work on.

Next chapter is the return to demon world. Not only that, but it's the beginning of a fun little two part chapter. I give you one hint: Youko's version of Ningenkai detox.

Until next time, this is Red Kitsune Flames, signing off.

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I got a question about Hiei's whereabouts. He and Yusuke will both reenter Youko's life in a chapter or two.

Autograph-use it for the epilogue


	15. Reunion

You all probably want to kill me now, and frankly, I don't blame you for that. At first, the problem was schoolwork, then it was a combination of writers block and laziness. My lateness is unforgivable, but now that it's summer, I will do the best I can to make it up to you. I hope this chapter meets your standards.

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Word's Once Spoken: Chapter 14

Kuronue cast another sidelong glance at him, causing Kurama to grin. They were nearly a day into their journey, and if he remembered correctly, they were nearly at the camp. Though Kuronue had been doing his best to remain discreet, it was very clear that he was excited.

_Why wouldn't he be though? _Youko asked him smugly. _Youko Kurama has returned! _It was true. Kurama had been to demon world before, but this time, it felt different. For the first time since he'd been Youko, Kurama felt alive, and it was wonderful!

"Hey, Youko!" Kuronue yelled. Kurama cast an amused, but wary glance in Kuro's direction. There was no way he would let the bat carry him again. After all, he couldn't let his already weakened appearance be even more threatened by being carried.

"When we get back, I have a big surprise for you!" Kuronue grinned with unsuppressed excitement, displaying all of his teeth. He looked almost ready to giggle.

Kurama's gaze was distracted when he felt the inhibiting clothes rub against his skin. They had left in such a hurry that he forgot to change out of these horrible things. They were black and coarse, two things that definitely didn't belong on the person of the bandit king. And he would be seen in these when he got there too! It was far to embarrassing to contemplate.

Though excited, his lover was not unaware of his distraction. He knew that Kurama would rather be in that flimsy kimono he'd made him wear to try and get him mad than be in these clothes. And of course, this amused him to no end.

In turn, Kurama noted his lover's amusement. "Don't laugh at me!" he snapped. "This is horrible!" All this seemed to do was entertain Kuro even more.

"You, little kit, are perfectly beautiful the way you are." Kuronue informed him with superiority. "No one will laugh at your clothes, and you know it." Despite his experience with flattery, this honest compliment made him blush.

In his mind, he could hear Youko roaring with laughter at how flustered he became. _That's my chimera. He has a silver tongue to be sure, but he's too simple to hide his admiration of us in either form. _Us? Had Youko just complimented him? That was a first.

Kurama squeaked when Kuronue tackled him. Before he could complain, lips crashed lustfully down on his own. Emerald eyes nearly rolled back in pleasure at Kuro's honey-flavored kisses. "I love you too." He managed to gasp out when Kuro pulled back.

This seemed to be the correct answer, for indigo eyes lit up and his lover's steady expression was replaced with joy. Kuronue jumped up and held out a hand chivalrously. Kurama laughed as he slipped a hand into the offered one and was pulled up onto his feet. He noted the fact that the chimera's face changed again, now watching him mirthfully.

He had never seen anything so fascinating as Kuronue's face, nor anything as likely to change in so many pleasing ways. _You're staring._ Kurama started, jumping a step back. "Like what you see?" Kuro teased.

Kurama answered by sticking out his tongue and took off running. The phrase 'catch me if you can' echoed in his mind. Kuronue chased after eagerly.

They ran, laughing, barely even aware of where they were going, just like the old days. In fact, by the time Kurama had noted his surroundings, he could see the assortment of tents in the clearing among the trees.

He froze. This was… Kuronue came up beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "We're home." He whispered, sliding his hand down into Kurama's and dragging him forward. Indigo eyes smiled at him tenderly when he dug his feet into the ground. "It's alright." He assured the human. "They missed you too."

Kurama nodded and shook off the hesitation. There was no way he would let himself be led! He moved up to Kuro's side and entwined their fingers.

As they stepped forward, the content, loving face slipped away and was replaced by Youko's detached, calculating expression. Kuronue noted his lover's change in mood and obligingly released his fingers.

The thieves immediately acknowledged their presence. Cries of 'boss!' and 'They're here!' rang out throughout the camp. Within a minute, every thief present had been alerted to their approach.

They all kept their distance, eyeing the redheaded being beside Kuronue. Could this really be Youko Kurama? His energy felt different, and he was so small!

Kurama stood, tensed, aware of the eyes studying him. If they couldn't recognize him as Youko, would they still be willing to accept him?

His question was answered a moment later by a cry of "Youko!" from his left. Emerging from among the crowd, Nori stalked steadily towards them. Kurama felt a ghost of a smile flicker across his face.

"At least someone recognizes me." He muttered loud enough for the others to hear.

Nori laughed. "Well Youko, you do look different than before…"

Kurama sprung forward and stuck his face only inches from the imp's. He smirked maniacally "Are you trying to imply something?" he whispered, causing the blue-skinned demon to look at him sheepishly.

"Master!" he heard a deep feminine voice call out. That voice… it sounded like… The thieves parted to reveal a young kitsune running towards him. Nori stepped back quickly, and before Kurama could react the girl had thrown herself onto him.

"Akiko?" he whispered. She had died, how was it that she was here now? Last he had seen her, she was a twelve-year-old girl. But still, those golden eyes were unmistakable, and that pale orange hair was rare enough that she must be one of Sho's bloodline.

"I missed you master!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"How?" Youko muttered almost incoherently through his lips. He felt Kuro's hand rest on his shoulder and looked up.

"Takeshi sacrificed himself so Shizuka could get Akiko to safety." Kuro told him. "They spent a long time hiding from the guards." He looked at all of the spectators. "Let's continue this conversation in private."

The four of them gathered in Kuro's old tent. Kurama shivered as they entered, he'd had some hard times in here. "By the time we got back," Akiko began softly "You had already left to get that amulet. Papa told us about what happened to you two, and then, you never came back."

She looked up at him with admiration. "But I knew that you would return, I knew it!" Before he could react, she had grabbed a lock of his hair. "You look so different, is this really a human body?"

"Akiko!" Nori snapped, gently slapping her hand away. "Show some respect for your superiors!"

Kurama smiled "I don't mind." He patted her head affectionately and her ears flattened contentedly. "And you've changed quite a bit too." He pointed out.

She flashed a sheepish, Yusuke-like grin at him. "Well master, I've grown up since you left." She said proudly, earning a fatherly smile from him.

"I'm sure your father is very proud." He told her. "Speaking of Sho, where is he?"

"Sho and Shizuka are out right now." Kuro informed him vaguely. He raised an eyebrow at Nori. "Just why do you have that expression on your face?" he asked.

The imp contorted his face as if he was thinking hard about something. "You really have changed." He stated at last. "There was a time when you wouldn't have been this comfortable with us, and you definitely wouldn't have been so tolerant." Kurama's eye twitched as Nori babbled on.

"Not to mention the fact that we don't even know if you can still fight. And then there's the fact that you've been fighting with the Tantei for a while, are you even willing to steal again? There's also-"

"Nori!" Youko snapped. The imp froze and slowly met the golden gaze of the bandit king. Kuro and Akiko merely watched in amusement as Nori began a panicked apology.

Akiko shook her head. "Why don't you just show him how you fight master." She told Youko.

"Akiko," Nori whined. "Why are you trying to get me killed?"

Kuro seized on the idea. "Neither of you are refusing. In fact, let's make it an event!" The three of them looked at each other. What had they just gotten themselves drawn into?

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They faced off against each other. Kurama stood at ease, his arms folded at the elbows and his knees bent and ready to spring. Nori looked at him nervously, but nevertheless intently. Kurama just smiled and waited as the imp circled him slowly.

Since Kurama had left, their camp seemed to have grown. For instance, the fenced-in arena they now stood in hadn't existed before. Kuronue sat on the fence and swung his feet to and fro eagerly. Akiko, resting against the outside of the fence, merely looked tolerant.

Kurama wondered what was taking Nori so long to attack him. _With such a large audience, he just doesn't want to make a fool of himself. _Kurama chuckled to himself. "Let's get this over with." He called out to the blue-skinned demon.

Nori's eyes hardened and he charged. Kurama ducked the kick that swung at his head, thrusting his foot out to trip the other. The imp back flipped quickly and thrust himself forward again.

It seemed, as neither of them landed any blows, that they were evenly matched. As the brawl continued, Nori seemed to be tiring the redhead. Kurama caught Nori's arm and used it to push off of. From a few feet away, Nori began to look frustrated. "It seems you really have weakened." He taunted.

Instantly, emerald eyes became golden and an icy aura began to emerge. Even Kuronue was frozen as he watched Kurama change before their eyes. "You-ko" he stuttered as the silver mist faded from around his body.

Nori wasted no time in attacking. If he was to win now, he had to work fast. Vines caught each of his limbs before he had even reached the kitsune. "What was that about me being weak?" Youko's soft voice questioned.

Nori met the fox's gaze for only a second before he slowly nodded his head. "Well met Youko; well met." Both of them smiled suddenly.

Youko swept his gaze around the arena and met each of the bandit's frightened eyes. Then he turned at last to face Kuronue. "Come with me." He told the chimera plainly before he stalked off.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kuronue marveled as he approached Youko.

The bat reverently reached up to stroke the fox's cheek, and was taken aback when he pulled away. "I can't bear to have you touch me this way." Youko stated in disgust.

"Well, it's a bit late for that love." The bat replied in amusement.

"That was a human body. This body however, still bears the taint of a world not it's own." Youko paused. "I need to purify this body before allowing you to come in contact with it."

"Oh, and just how do you plan to do that?" Kuronue wondered.

Youko smiled at him. "Just follow my lead love."

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I have to say, that wasn't a really amazing chapter. My cousin is coming to stay for a week tomorrow, and then I'm going to go to her house and we're going to the anime expo. After that, I'll be able to write another chapter for you.

In the time between last chapter and this one, I wrote a oneshot called **These Dreams**. Please, if you want to of course, let me know what you think of it. It's sort of lengthy, but it isn't bad.

Until next time, this is Red Kitsune Flames, signing off.


	16. Detox

I realize that It's a Secret was a while ago for most of you, so a lot of the old characters were forgotten. I'm aware that my OCs have no personality and are completely awful, so I'll try to avoid them as much as possible. It's impossible to leave them out completely though, so I'll give you a recap of who they are.

When Youko first joined Kuronue's bandits, the first people he met were the twin water imps Nori and Shizuka. I could give you a physical description, but I'm sure you honestly don't care; I know I don't.

**Nori**: he has a very commanding presence, and is the kind of person that you just notice instantly when they walk into a room. He was one of Youko's teachers, and mainly instructed him in the art of identifying valuable treasures and saw to teaching Youko facts about the world that he needed to know. He respects Kuronue, but also never passes up a chance to laugh at him. Along with Sho, Nori was the one who helped save Youko when he was grieving his mate's death.

**Shizuka: **Nori's twin sister, she's more of the quiet type. She has the same innate intelligence as her brother, and she had that kindly influence that soothed Youko when he first joined. She was also a teacher of Youko, and was the one who taught him the essential skills of a thief: lock picking and stealth. She is a master of long-range weapons. On the mission where Kuro died, she stayed behind to allow them to go ahead, and they thought she had died.

The only Kitsune in the band, and the oldest member of the band was the amber colored **Sho**. He taught Youko how to manipulate plants, and was the physician of the camp. Sho was the one who took charge in the absence of Youko and Kuro.

**Takeshi:** a cat demon with a mastery of most martial arts forms. He taught Youko how to fight. Takeshi was mentioned more times than he appeared, and stayed behind with Shizuka on that raid. He sacrificed himself so Shizuka could get Akiko to safety. He had no time to develop a personality.

The above four were a part of the original twelve members (excluding Kuro) that were in the band when Youko became Kuro's apprentice.

**Akiko: **Sho's daughter. She was Youko's apprentice along with Yomi, and not much of a fighter. She was small and definitely knew how to steal. She had the power of illusion. She was very special to Youko, and her odd personality brightened up everyone's lives. Because everyone in the band spoiled her, Akiko was pretty sheltered and not afraid to nose about in Youko's love life.

Well, now that you're almost certainly bored out of your skulls, I'll get on with it.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **Novacaine-lullaby, **for leaving me such a wonderful review.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 15

Kuronue was definitely not someone who could be called impatient. Having lived for hundreds of years, most long waits seemed like brief flashes of time for him. There was no doubt in his mind that he could endure this. Surely, he reminded himself, after nearly 19 years, one night could make no difference. This wasn't impatience at all, no; it was just that he was eager to touch his kitsune after so long.

Kuronue sighed. Okay, who was he trying to kid? He was dying of impatience. That was just the effect that Youko had on him. No rules or logic mattered to him when it came to Youko, and as a result, that fox was constantly twisting his emotions into knots.

Whenever he grew unsettled by that unpredictable tangle of confusion he called his mate, Kuro simply pulled out his weapons and practiced with them furiously. This distraction, though brief, could temporarily empty him of those emotions that threatened to drive him mad. This state of release from Youko's spell over him was all he had to rescue him from the disturbance of useless things such as worry or impatience.

In this situation however, it was more accurate to say that nothing could drive out the frustration his fox caused him. Even now, having been returned to his rightful place, Youko _still _insisted that Kuronue couldn't touch him. No, he had to find yet _another _reason to torture his devoted lover.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered to himself as he followed Youko through the trees. In truth, Kuro felt like he was ready to just explode and go after the kitsune right then and there. He would've too, had he been able to predict his lover's response.

Even though he'd known the fox for years, the aloof silver beauty was still a mystery to him. Not even twenty years ago, Kuro would have laughed at the idea of Youko caring as much as he did about a ningen. He would have been able to understand if Youko simply felt obligated to her, but no, he actually loved the woman deeply.

It was this type of unpredictability that kept him in a state of constant shock whenever they were together. And caution, more than anything else, was telling him not to annoy his mate right now. Despite the strange feelings in the air, Kuronue could judge that what Youko intended to do was something that was important to him.

So he would play the good lover and allow Youko to do whatever he wanted. As soon as the fox was done however, all restraint would go. Only the thought of all the different ways he would take revenge for this wait kept him sane right now. And Kuro planned to use each and every idea that came to mind as soon as he could, and to continue until he was sure Youko understood just what he'd put him through.

He was drawn out from his planning when he noticed Youko holding up two ordinary-looking leaves. It was at times like these that he almost regretted letting Sho teach Youko so much about plants. Youko took the knife-like end of the stems and in one swift motion; he pierced the skin on his wrist. "Youko." Kuronue said in a warning tone. Why was it that everything the fox did seemed to involve self-mutilation?

"Don't fret love." Youko told him. "I need to introduce the oils from this leaf into my bloodstream, how else would you propose I do that?" Kuronue just glowered. Youko smiled and walked unhurriedly towards him. "Hey, Kuronue?" he whispered huskily as he put his lips not even an inch away from Kuro's ear. The chimera's body responded immediately to Youko's proximity. "Watch over my body okay?" and with that, Youko collapsed on top of him.

Youko used the bat's body to cushion his fall to the ground. It was never fun to be slammed into the ground, especially not by someone taller than you. Kuronue pushed himself into a sitting position and glared at the unconscious body on top of him. "Wonderful, now I'm a babysitter."

That was Youko for you. "Was that really necessary?" he whined, glaring down at the back of Youko's familiar white clothing.

It never ceased to amaze him that he seemed so easy to manipulate. "How does he do it?" Kuronue wondered aloud. Gazing at the god-like figure of foxy's body though, the question really wasn't necessary. The way, even with this limited view, he could see the curve of the well-toned muscles of Youko's upper body transition into… Kuronue snapped his gaze up. He mustn't allow himself to be distracted! But still… there was nothing like sexual frustration to mess with a demon's head.

Alas, it was just the curse that his fox had placed on him. From the moment they met, Youko's passionate golden eyes and creamy silver hair had him spellbound. And at that point, the fox hadn't even been aware of his effect on others.

Thinking back to the suspicious young apprentice who had tried so hard to please the one who'd taken him in, it was hard to believe that he was the same demon. Kuronue was just thankful that his bloodlust had faded somewhat over time. The body stretched over his lap started shivering. Kuronue smiled tenderly as he turned Youko's body and lay down next to it.

"I'll keep you safe." He whispered into the pointy silver ear. This kitsune wasn't a curse. No, he was a blessing.

Kuronue reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair out of Youko's face. His mate… "You're never leaving my side again, no matter what."

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How did he get into this mess again? Oh yes of course, he fell in love. Kuronue ground his teeth together. Youko had awakened about three hours later, and had been throwing up for nearly half of one.

Kuronue sighed from where he stood on the other side of the tree Youko was hiding behind. "Are you sure you're all right?" he called yet again as another fit of coughing began.

"Yes." Youko's voice responded weakly. "The oils are only mildly poisonou-" more coughing. "So the poison should be gone soon."

"Wonderful." Kuronue muttered sarcastically. "I'm so happy for you."

"What has you in such a pessimistic mood?" Youko asked, coming around the tree to face him.

Kuronue didn't answer as he took in his lover's condition. Youko had his arms wrapped around his body, and he was still shaking nonstop. Kuronue simply grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the nearest water.

"Kuro?" Youko questioned when the bat began to undress him.

The chimera just sighed and smiled at him. "You can't perform to the best of your abilities if you're shaking like this, so we're going to take a bath together."

Youko didn't respond as Kuro led him into the water. This spot was a natural hot spring, so the two demons were able to warm up quickly. Youko still sat there with a vacant look on his face, something that was getting on Kuro's nerves. "Youko!" he snapped, earning the attention of his lover. "What's wrong with you?"

Youko smiled. "Oh nothing, I was just talking to Shuuichi." Then the silver fox dunked his head under the water and nuzzled against Kuro's stomach. Kuro's eyes instantly lit up, it was about time!

"That was a cheap shot." He pointed out when Youko resurfaced.

"All is fair in love and war." The kitsune replied in a sultry voice. The expression confused Kuro briefly, but he shrugged it off when Youko, floating in the water, wrapped his arms around Kuro's neck.

He closed his eyes in pleasure as their lips met, when he felt Youko's body tense. "What's wrong now?" Kuro asked without opening his eyes.

"Sorry." that was all Youko said before his body shifted. When Kuro opened his eyes, he found the much shorter human in his arms. "I'm sorry." The redhead repeated the Kitsune's sentiment. "All I've done is cause trouble for you. Even now, when we're back here, all I've done is make you wait for me." The human's surprisingly innocent emerald eyes glistened in the moonlight reflecting off the water.

"Stop that right now." Kuro told him. "You never have to apologize for anything." He held back a sigh at the look the human gave him. He would have to be gentler with this one it seemed. "I love Youko, and you are a part of Youko, therefore I love you as well. You know the best way to make it up to me anyway."

Little kit instantly pushed his self up and pressed their lips together. Kuro deepened the kiss as he slowly turned them so that Kurama was pressed against the edge of the spring.

That was a night that neither Youko nor Shuuichi would ever forget.

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Yeah, I decided to try Kuro's POV for a change of pace. Sorry that the whole detox idea ended up being so weak. I had ideas, but I never wrote them down. I'm aware that the end wasn't as good as the beginning, but the inspiration sort of faded.

Well anyway, I had a wonderful time at the anime expo. I got signatures from Laura Bailey, and the guy who does Ed's voice whose name I can never remember. I also went to the Crispin Freeman panel, and I feel so lucky!

Anyway, I have been working on this, and I'm sorry I took so long to finish it. I'm going on a trip soon, so I'm not sure I'll have time to write the next chapter before I go.

There are probably 4-6 chapters left of this story. My goal is to finish them this summer.

Oh, and next chapter will be _very _entertaining! So I'll have lots of fun writing it too!

I appreciate all of your reviews, and I hope you continue to review in the future. Until next time, this is RKF, signing off.


	17. Kichiro

Okay, let's get started!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 16

Kichiro was moving up in the world. After nearly ten years of service as an officer in lord Yomi's army, he had been entrusted to lead a caravan carrying a very important payment to Lord Mukuro; a payment that would ensure an alliance between the two lords. In other words, he, the beautiful Kichiro, and his men, were delivering a very large bribe.

He was sure to get a promotion out of this! An overwhelming feeling of pride filled him, this would teach his younger brother just who was the better demon. Kichiro began to chuckle. Suzuka thought he was so special just because he got to fight in the Dark Tournament, well now he would learn his place!

Kichiro's eyes blazed as the image of his foolish brother bowing before him burned in his mind. "I'll show you who is truly beautiful!" he yelled. Kichiro had always been popular and was one of the most desired demons in Yomi's court. His current lover, Yoshi, seemed especially determined to win him over.

For once, Kichiro didn't know what to do. Confusion quickly turned into blinding anger directed towards his current predicament. Kichiro stripped off the distasteful iron helmet that was a part of the standard army uniform. Behind him, two scouts waited for his command. Oh how he mourned the loss of the time when he didn't have to make decisions!

But, if he was to prove his worth, it was naturally worth the cost. These men would witness the impressive brilliance of Kichiro the Amazing, as he had knighted himself. His whole company of men had come to a halt in the center of the valley behind him. The lower demons pulling the wagon grunted and stamped their feet in the snow.

His men were well trained, and immediately fell into formation around the single wagon containing six chests packed tightly with gold. Those chests represented his golden future. He alone had been deemed worthy to travel these passes and make it to Mukuro before the snows came.

In Makai, once blizzard season began, travel was nearly impossible. These mountains were known especially as being treacherous to cross in the winter. Nevertheless, Kichiro would do it, and in doing so, would secure his future as an important member of the army.

All of his hopes now rested on the success of his mission. That success depended almost entirely on the arrival of the snows. Well, that and his ability to make this stupid demon _**shut up**._

"_Kichiro, Kichiro. My darling Kichiro! It is I, Yoshi, your beloved. Come to me, my love!"_

Loud and clear, a passion-filled voice rand out through the valley. It echoed, the words sounding over and over. Kichiro felt his fair skin redden as the words continued to echo. This wasn't really Yoshi _-of course not!-_ it was merely some other demon that lusted after him.

"_Come to me my love! Take me here, in the hills. Make me yours!"_

It was not good for someone with a rising reputation in lord Yomi's court to have this kind of request made in public. By anyone. Especially not in a place where others could notice. And here, of all places! The words were most noticeable as they continued to echo through the frigid air. Someone was amusing his self at Kichiro the Amazing's expense, and someone was going to pay for that.

Kichiro was careful not to glance back at his men, but as the demon's voice, full of longing, shot out various proposals, he heard stifled laughter from among his troop.

"_Come, my handsome Kichiro! I must have you. Make me yield to your greatness, my love!"_

The two scouts brought news of a possible ambush waiting ahead. One horny demon, no matter how damaging to his career, was completely different from the threat of armed enemies.

Despite his youth, Kichiro was a perceptive leader. The importance of his mission weighed so heavily in his mind that he had set scouts on all sides. Normally, he would have felt safe among a group this large, but not today.

"_Oh Kichiro, I burn for you! I am your lover first and a demon second!"_

It was very hard to concentrate with that voice filling the air. Kichiro managed it, of course. There were no ruling forces that could have gotten here this fast, so the only solution was that thieves waited ahead. What thieves would be daring enough or powerful enough to challenge a part of Yomi's army was beyond him.

"_I yearn, I desire, I die! Come to me with the dagger of your loins!"_

The dagger?

Behind him, he heard one of his officers cough. A multitude of sounds were discernable behind him, where his men stood waiting. That was it! Kichiro could tolerate this insult no longer.

"_Kichiro, my king, I am your slave! Come, I am naked, awaiting your warmth!"_

"There is an ambush in the hills ahead." Kichiro informed his officers, effectively distracting them from their embarrassed amusement. "You!" he singled out the youngest officer. "Take a few men to silence that racket. The rest of you, follow me. They can't be very smart if they think to challenge Kichiro the Amazing!"

"_Ride me into paradise!_

Kichiro growled. "What is that idiot _doing!"_

Behind him, scouts from the southern end ran up. "My lord, there is an enormous company behind us!"

"How many?" he asked automatically.

"Too many my lord." The scout replied, out of breath.

"Damn it!" he cursed. There was only one way to go now, straight into the ambush. Returning the helmet to its place, he yelled. "For lord Yomi and the kingdom, charge!"

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Youko found that there was something immensely stimulating about shouting out in feverish desire –as Yoshi of course- to the whole of the valley below them. At first, he'd thought Nori must be crazy to suggest this.

Beside him, two thieves had hands clamped tightly over their mouths in an attempt to hold back their laughter. He'd grown quite inventive during this little escapade. Youko had to admit that their unwavering amusement had been what led him to making more and more reckless suggestions.

Now he watched as his hard work paid off and Kichiro's company charged blindly into an ambush. Closer though, were the few men that had been sent to deal with him. The young officer leading them paused and looked around blankly when he fell silent.

Grinning, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

"_Kichiro, my golden knight! It is Yoshi, I tremble for you!"_

The young officer looked towards their hiding place and continued his ascent up the hill.

Youko looked up when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Kuronue's laughter had ceased. "Alright Youko, I think you can stop now." Youko nodded determinedly and looked down as the young officer was called back to the main group.

"Those idiots." Shizuka muttered from behind him. "They're running right into our traps."

"They should be honored." Kuro muttered absently as he gave the battlefield his undivided attention.

"I'm quite impressed with how Akiko's talents have grown." Kurama said amiably to Shizuka. "To make an illusion solid enough to convince trained soldiers that there was a threat behind them takes quite a bit of skill."

Shizuka nodded. "Yes, she surprised us all by working so hard, even after you two were gone."

"Shhhhh." Kuronue told them. "It's time to move. Shizuka, see if you can eliminate Kichiro."

And with that, he'd leapt from the hillside and went soaring down over their quickly dying victims.

An orange crossbow made from energy appeared in Shizuka's hands in an instant.

As she sought out her target, Youko's staff hollowed out into a long tube. Putting his lips to one end of the tube, Kurama shot three seeds out over the wagon below. Seeds became vines in mid air and covered the wagon, fixing it into the hillside.

Demons panicked and began a futile effort to free the wagon from its thorny blanket. As more and more of them fell into stake-filled pits or were trampled by their companions, Kuronue called for the bandits to attack.

Beside him, Shizuka fired.

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Kichiro wasn't quite sure how he ended up lying on the ground, but he wasn't able to get up either. The screams of his men around him as they rushed to their deaths filled his ears. Whoever his foes were, they had outsmarted him.

It really wasn't fair; he was so close. Kichiro cursed silently. _I suppose I won't be able to prove I'm better after all, Suzuka… _That was his last thought as darkness closed down on him.

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Hmm, I think that last segment with Kichiro was a little weak. This was a fun chapter to write. I kept putting it off, but I finally just sat down to do it. Sorry for the wait. I hope I don't lose any more of you guys…

This chapter was inspired by The Lions Of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Only a few more chapters to go! See ya next time.


	18. Memory part 1

Okay, I'm getting started on this right away, because in a week or so, my cousin is coming to stay for 5 days, and I won't get to write while she's here.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 17

As we get older, our oldest memories fade into the depths of our mind. They are there for when something triggers them, and they arise, bringing with them an onslaught of nostalgia. For regardless of whether the memory was happy or sad, it was a time that no longer exists in the present. Mixed feelings always accompany change. The older we get, the closer to death we are. It's not so much that our past was better than our lives now, but that it was a time in our lives that we can never return to. It is that that we mourn.

When something does trigger them, be it a word, a picture, or some passing fancy of our subconscious, we are left with that impossible mixture of pleasure and regret. As memories continue to fade, they visit us less and less frequently, until we barely remember them at all. To many, this is called childhood amnesia.

Of course, there are some memories that were at one time so precious to us that we'd never want to forget them. But that is what it truly means for a memory to _fade_. Just as the sun gradually robs everything of color, time robs our memories of vividness; both clarity of recognition, and of the colorful feelings that were once attached to them.

For Youko, memories were especially elusive. His life span was just long enough so that every time it's setting changed; his memories of the past setting began to withdraw automatically.

First was his childhood, so long ago that he had only a few moments of intense feelings that were strong enough to leave traces even now. Then his early teenage years, unpleasant enough so that they all blurred together and hid away, only to come forth when similar feelings of misery made their appearance.

One fateful meeting, at age sixteen, surfaced more often than most of those early memories. Kuronue, reminiscent man that he was, often liked to recall their first meeting. His early years with Kuronue and the band had also been reduced to the level of mere facts that no longer bore any significance to his life.

Then, a couple hundred years of contentment, living as a thief, a mate, and a leader. While precious, no one's capacity for thought has the room for all of that information to remain at the forefront of one's mind. Memories continued to drown under the arrival of new times.

Negative memories naturally overpower positive ones, and the more negative, the more likely it is to remain clearly. Recent memories of Yomi and losing Kuro were still near the front of his mind.

Then there was his life as a ningen. Even as a teenaged ningen, he could close his eyes and easily recall any part of that life. Likewise, his memories of the Tantei were very close to his heart.

But it seemed now, that after only a month back in Makai, Kurama's memories of his old team mates didn't carry the same weight they had just a short time before. Now, to Kurama, this kind of "mental weakness" was something to be concerned about. While he was overjoyed to be back with Kuronue, those memories were recent enough that he didn't want to lose the "precious moments" he'd had among them.

Kuronue, of course, noticed his mate's concern at once. Judging by the way Youko's eyes gazed off before they slept, he decided this wasn't something that was going to go away. Even though he was getting used to little kit's obsessive need to worry over seemingly insignificant things, he still grew concerned when it happened.

So Kuronue decided they would go travel for a while. After all, what was better than a sort of 'honeymoon' to take the kitsune's mind off of pointless concerns?

Sensing his mate's frustration, Kurama did everything he could to stop getting distracted over things in the past. It seemed however, that his subconscious had other plans.

Shortly after their little 'trip' began, Kurama began to have strange dreams. Youko identified them as specters from his past, though he could not say anything more than that. At first, the dreams consisted of little more than short images of mist and a strange whisper that he heard loudly in his ears.

Then, he began to dream about _her._ She was one of his earliest memories. A wolf-child whom he had abandoned to a dreadful fate. Kasumi, her name had been. Youko remembered; she had been the only one who thought he was worthy enough to have a name. To a young boy, otherwise alone in the world, she was the moonlight in an otherwise pitch-black existence.

And as for her fate…

As many stories go, Youko was the mistreated slave, and she was the kind-hearted child of his abuser. In a village, surrounded by a permanently snowy forest, it was either survive among the group, or die in the snow.

Maybe that was why he thought of her now. This blasted snow was unceasing in its approach, and brutal in its stay.

Flickers of an image, like falling snowflakes, came and went. She'd been small. Wolf-children were a rarity, part wolf demon, part ice demon. Not like Hiei's people, more like Touya's.

And he remembered eyes. Not golden like his, but a gentle yellow. Many times, those eyes had seemed the sun to him.

The rest of her was lost. He did his best to ignore it for Kuro, but the consistency of his dreams made it difficult. The elusive whisper of his past brought forth a sense of guilt that he'd never before considered. Every part of her had struggled against her nature; a loving daughter in spite of her father's character. And he had abandoned her…

It'd been so long ago that none of it mattered now. In spite of that, those feelings remained. They were more or less stuck here, in this poor excuse for a town. Of course, that was just a prejudice brought with him from Ningenkai.

It seemed their band had begun to conduct heists on a larger scale than he'd ever imagined. He could just imagine the look on Yomi's face when he learned his random bribe had never reached Mukuro.

To a kitsune like him, this place was _boring._ Kuro kept him busy, but even he could only do so much. By this point, Youko was wishing desperately for _something_ interesting to happen.

And then, Yusuke arrived.

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(sigh) Sorry about this. I had to cut the chapter in half if I wanted to get it up in time. My cousin is coming later today, so I'm out of time. The other half will be posted as soon as I get the chance to finish it.

In other news, I've been trying to learn to play Go. Have any of you played it? It's a fun game.

Okay, see you soon.

--Red Kitsune Flames


	19. Memory part 2

Okay, school is back at me with full force. Even after just two days, I know that my only free time to write will be on weekends, so I'm going to try to update every week again. With Honors Math, English, and Chemistry, I just won't have any time.

This chapter is dedicated to **MangaMamma** because A) dedicating chapters to people is fun, and B) she's great!

Sorry about leaving you guys like that last chapter. Without further ado, here's the rest of "Memory".

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 17 part 2

_To a kitsune like him, this place was boring. Kuro kept him busy, but even he could only do so much. By this point, Youko was wishing desperately for something interesting to happen._

_And then, Yusuke arrived._

"What are you doing here?" Kurama asked the grinning detective. Yusuke was definitely a site for sore eyes. With his clothes wet from melted snow, and his knees quivering with cold, it was clear that he went through quite a lot of trouble to get into town.

"Jeez Kurama, you're getting old. Don't you remember our goals?" He swept his hand toward the horizon dramatically. "You know, bridging the gap between humans and demons! Changing the world!" Yusuke was laughing all the while. "Making Grandma's wishes come true!"

Kurama hit one fist against his other hand. "Oh yes, that's right."

Yusuke nearly fell over. "You mean you really forgot? I thought you were kidding!"

Laughing sheepishly, Kurama rubbed the back of his head. "Well, a lot happened you know." He felt Kuronue's furry jacket come to press against his neck from behind, earning him a glare from Yusuke. "But more importantly, how did you get here?"

"Hm?" Yusuke asked, turning his gaze from Kuronue. "Oh, I just followed Hiei. He's the one who found you."

"What? Hiei's here?" Their last encounter hadn't ended very well, and Kurama hoped the little demon wasn't still mad at him about that. _If I recall it correctly, he called us a whore. _Youko piped in. Kurama could practically see the fox's fur bristling with anger.

"Well I couldn't exactly find you by myself. He's probably off in a tree or something" Yusuke told him cheerfully.

Looking upon his smiling face, Kurama felt a distance thrown in between himself and Yusuke. _I suppose I really am moving on_, he thought sadly.

Sensing his mate's change of mood, Kuronue spoke up. "Well, I suppose if Kurama likes you, I can't let you freeze to death out here." He told Yusuke arrogantly. "Let's go inside."

Kuronue turned to go inside, with Kurama close behind him. Behind them, Yusuke glared daggers at Kuro's head. "What are you saying bat boy? You'd just leave me here if Kurama didn't like me?"

"That's exactly what I meant." Kuro stated, smirking at the smoldering Yusuke.

"Bat boy?" Kurama asked with some amusement as they entered the town.

"Stupid twerp keeps calling me that." He muttered, stepping over a puddle of slush.

Makai towns were small, and generally very far apart. They mainly consisted of shoddy-looking rock walls enclosing a few large, hollow spikes that were shed off of a Rock Serpent's back. As with all snakeskin, the spikes were paper thin, but they gave off a surprising amount of warmth.

They wouldn't break easily, so the walls were more of a boundary than anything else. As was true in all towns and villages here, many of the citizens were trapped within those boundaries, forbidden freedom by the one who "owned them." Demon law stated that (except in cases of fighting) if your life was saved, you became the property of the one who saved it.

Many children were abandoned near towns like these and rescued, only to be enslaved. The butterfly village was one of the few that didn't do that. For that reason, they made the perfect choice for demons to bring over to Ningenkai.

Inside the spike, Kuronue continued to calmly provoke Yusuke. Kurama smiled fondly at the chimera's antics. "It's been too long." Kurama said wistfully, gazing up at the pure white sky. The other two demons stopped bickering and looked towards Kurama.

Kurama's emerald eyes seemed to light up as he turned his head towards Yusuke. "How about a fight?"

"Whaaat?" they both screeched incredulously.

"I don't think we've ever fought, have we Yusuke?" Kurama asked, smiling at him. "It would give us something to do."

"B-but Youko!" Kuro whined. "How could you want to fight a twerp like him?"

"Hey bat boy, what's that supposed to mean?" Yusuke yelled, grabbing Kuro by the collar of his jacket.

"Hmph!" the bat huffed dramatically. "I don't really get why he'd want to fight a twerp like you, but I suppose I'll allow it this once."

Yusuke's lip curled up in a snarl. "I dare you to call me that again!" he yelled, hitting a fist against his chest.

"Twerp. Twerp. Twerp. Twerp. Twerp." was Kuro's childish reply as he stuck his nose up in the air.

"That's it! We're taking this outside!" Yusuke growled, starting another glaring contest with the bat.

Kurama couldn't help but be amused by their bickering. Really, they were like a couple of children. _By my standards, the Mazoku is a child. _Youko pointed out. Kurama could tell by the bemused tone of his voice that Youko found this as amusing as he did. Watching them, he began to chuckle.

They both stopped the wrestling match they'd begun to look over at him when his chuckle became outright laughter. "His smile is so beautiful…" Kuronue thought as his lover's musical laughter tickled his ears.

"Youko…" he said, gazing lovingly at the Kitsune.

_Bang!_

A sudden explosion tore through the air outside of the walls, loud enough to be heard over the sound of the blizzard's raging wind. All three heads snapped to the gate marked with the symbol for north. From behind the gate rose a pyre of smoke, staining the white sky with streaks of black.

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I really overdid the dialogue in this one, but there wasn't that much for me to describe…

Even though the writing could use some definite improvement, I hope you all enjoyed the rest of this chapter. I'll do my very best to update again next weekend. Until then, this is RKF, signing off!


	20. Daydreams part 1

I am fifteen years old as of Thursday, hooray! I didn't forget about you guys, and as promised, I'm going to get as much done as I can after doing all of my homework.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 18

Bang! The noise came again from the north gate, more following in quick succession. Kurama watched with mild curiosity as the smoke rose and bathed the sky in darkness. It thickened in the air, it's sulfurous scent smothering them like a blanket. The stinging cold moved everywhere, biting at his skin to the point where it began to itch. Everywhere he looked winter grew so thick around them that it seemed tangible.

"What the…?" Yusuke muttered, staring wide-eyed at the turmoil.

"Well, it has nothing to do with us." Kuro stated, turning away from the attack. After all, the attackers weren't bothering them. What use was there in interfering? These demons just happened to be here at the same time as them, like bugs that never seemed to disappear from underfoot.

"I suppose you're right." Kurama agreed, trailing after Kuro nonchalantly. Winter's persistence was bound to give out soon enough. Then they could leave this damn town and see something that was actually green again. Petty feuds between demons were similar to those between trees; when trees grow close together, they battle to be the highest one in the forest, and therefore get the most sunlight.

There weren't any strong plants growing around here, only flawed characters. All of the snow weeds were too lazy to do any growing themselves, instead begging Kurama for energy.

After he took a few decisive steps, Kurama realized that Yusuke wasn't following them. The Mazoku could never resist interfering with things completely unrelated to him.

Kurama could feel the heat of Yusuke's tension sizzling in the air around them. "You do whatever you want." He told them through gritted teeth, "but I'm going to see what's happening over there!" With that, he turned and ran out of their sight before they had a chance to react.

"This is why I hate children." Kuronue grumbled, simultaneously extending his arms and wings. "They never listen to their elders…" _So he admits it! _Then they were off after him, like parents with a child that just learned to walk.

As they ran, well as Kurama ran beside Kuro, the thick smoke around them obscured everything. Kuro's wings were fans that could give them a few feet of clean air on either side if they weren't moving so fast. Their speed kept the smoke from settling on their bodies, but it did nothing to protect them from its suffocating scent.

Finding Yusuke was harder than Kurama had expected it to be. Either Yusuke had purposely hidden his energy (something Kurama found very unlikely), or the smoke was obscuring their ability to sense each other.

Bang! Another succession of attacks on the gate implied a crude battering ram to be the source of the noise. It was probably one that slowly disintegrated, explaining the excessive smoke. He turned to follow the noise, knowing that Yusuke would probably be at the center of the chaos.

Seconds later, he could discern a murmur of voices that meant they were closer to Yusuke. Beside him, he sensed Kuronue and felt the air from his wings brush through his hair.

Kurama watched, almost in a daze, as they came upon the scene of the brawl. Despite the situation and the level of brutality, all of this was just a brawl among demons. The smell of sweat and blood was so powerful that he could taste it.

He felt himself falling, both literally and metaphorically, into another dream. His back hit the ground and the impact covered him in the turbid slush of the battlefield. He heard Kuronue call his name, just as the dream swept him away.

"_Youko."_

_The fox looked up from his labor. Kasumi ran toward him with strands of her snow white hair flying out behind her. Behind her in the snow he saw a trail of footprints, running all the way from the hilltop where she lived. _

_He set down his tools and stood to watch as she stumbled toward him down the hill. Her eyes met his, and when she saw that he was watching, her fuzzy little wolf ears perked up and a sanguine smile lit up her face. Youko watched with some wariness as she approached him._

_Her petite fingertips clutched a basket of woven bark that gave off a delightfully fragrant aroma. Youko's mouth began to water, just imagining the kinds of things that basket contained. Kasumi stopped determinedly in front of him. As she panted in exhilaration, her breath came out in visible puffs of air. _

"_I brought you some food." Those were the sweetest words he'd ever heard._

_He watched her warily as she set the basket down by his feet. The smells of blood and meat wafted through the air, stimulating his nose and tongue simultaneously. He never took his eyes away from Kasumi as she backed a few feet away from her morsel._

"_It's okay." She told him with that tender smile still on her face. "I won't hurt you."_

_His gold eyes rose to meet hers timidly. This person's eyes were bright yellow, and nowhere could he see a trace of deceit. He looked away again fearfully; those eyes were too bright for the likes of him. She waited, perfectly still, as if any movement would send him running away._

_Cautiously, he moved towards the meat, each step planted carefully in the snow before he took another one. It took only three steps. Youko's hair slid to the left side of his neck as he bent to reach the basket. He made one more uncertain glance at Kasumi and then scooped the meat up quickly into his hands. _

_He leapt back from the basket like it was a dangerous object and clutched the meat in towards his chest. It felt warm and slimy in his hands, almost like fresh meat. He didn't care if it was fresh though; it was still blessed _food

_He tore into the meat desperately. The salty flavor burst onto his tongue in an eruption of terrific flavor. The meat was indeed fresh. Youko lowered his head to his hands and ate ravenously, tearing off chunk after chunk of the wonderful sensation, unaware of the sudden wetness of his cheeks. _

_In front of him, Kasumi clenched her hands together joyously, her heart trying with all of its strength to reach out and touch that of the beautiful creature before her. _

**To Be Continued…**

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Sorry, but it looks like I am once again giving you a half chapter. After part two of this chapter, there is one more chapter before the epilogue. I really need to avoid writing action scenes until I get better at them…

Well anyway, you all know how it is. Alright, I've gotta upload this then get some sleep. Until next time,

--Red Kitsune Flames.


	21. Daydreams part 2

Okay, here's the rest of it. Enjoy!

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 19 part 2

"_Youko!"_

_He felt it again, the strange pulsing in his chest. What was this feeling? It reminded him of the village drums, and how the sound would make the ground tremble. Nothing was so strange to him as this. Almost like the way he felt before Katashi struck him, but also with the feeling of a strange fragility: so fragile that he couldn't let it end._

_Sometimes, when this feeling came upon him, it was all he could do to tense up his whole body. It felt like, as long as he held himself in the exact state he was in, that fragile feeling wouldn't change; nothing could change. _

_It felt like there was another consciousness present all around him, and somehow that thought made him safe. If he never moved, he would never know what that feeling was. But at the sane time, any movement could shatter his quiescence, and he would never know._

_He lay there frozen, afraid to move, afraid not to, when he felt a bead of water fall on him. Just like that, the moment vanished forever. Then there was pain. Not just in his body, but a deep squeeze in his chest. And somehow, that pain hurt the most of all._

_His ears twitched at the sound of sobbing. He opened his eyes, and saw it was night. And beside him, the little one sat. Youko forced himself to sit up, and his first instinct was to run. Then he saw her face. Her mouth was contorted so her teeth stuck out, and her oversized ears drooped down the sides of her head. Water slipped from her eyes with persistence._

_He didn't know what made him do it. Maybe it was because she fed him, or because he couldn't sense any malice in her. Or maybe it was just Youko instinct to comfort a little one in tears. But what Youko did know was that a look like that didn't belong on a face like hers. _

_So he reached out, and before either of them understood what happened, she was wrapped in his arms. And then he felt sudden warmth that had nothing to do with their body heat. It was because… because that was the first time that _he _ever reached out to somebody else. _

"_Oh Youko." She sighed. And then he understood that _she _was referring to _him_; and it made him glad. _

"_I'm sorry he hurt you." She whispered, her tiny fingers clenching his silver hair. _

_Then she pulled back, and looked at him frowning. And he didn't like that look on her face, so he reached out again, and he touched her face. And then she understood that _he _was comforting _her, _and that _he _was the one being comforted._

"_I am Kasumi." She pointed to herself. "I'm happy to finally know you Youko."_

_And he looked at her, and her yellow eyes, and he understood. So _he _pointed to himself and he said "Y-ou-ko."_

_And she nodded her head, and smiled brightly up at his face. "That there is beautiful." She told him._

"Youko!"

His eyes shot open automatically when he heard his mate's call. "Why are you crying?" he asked, concerned. Kurama gasped and brought a hand to his face, only to find that he was indeed crying.

"What happened to you fox boy? You just suddenly collapsed in the middle of a battle." Yusuke asked, punching the last of their opponents to the ground and walking over to them.

"I'm not sure…" Kurama muttered, struggling to regain his senses. "I was dreaming."

"You were dream- What the…!" Yusuke cut himself off, looking around as and eerie white mist began to rise from the snow.

"It looks like there are more of them." Kuro said, rising to his feet. "Are you okay to fight?" he asked Kurama, holding out a hand. Kurama nodded and clasped the chimera's hand.

It would be difficult to ascertain anything under these conditions, Kurama thought.

"_There are only three." _He heard Hiei's gruff voice in his head.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked as the demon appeared beside them. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you really asking that after you collapsed out of nowhere?" the demon asked. "Baka."

The shorter demon turned away as their opponents approached them. "Let's kick some butt." Yusuke said sadistically, hitting his fists together.

"Wait." Hiei told them. "There's something strange about these three."

"What is it now?" Kuro grumbled in annoyance. "Wait a second… why aren't they moving?"

Kurama could see them clearly now. They had just frozen and were staring into space. All three of them had terrified looks on their faces as they stood there. "Damn!" He heard Hiei curse, clutching the eye on his forehead. "Someone's controlling their minds."

"What?" Yusuke asked, looking at them closely. "How can you tell?"

"I can see the threads of energy connected to them." Hiei snapped.

"Okay okay! So why are they just standing there?" Yusuke asked.

As if his words were a cue, the demons began attacking each other. A red energy surrounded them as soon, the snow was stained with blood.

"Okay, this is strange." Kuro said, turning to Kurama.

The demons attacked, and then disappeared in one huge explosion of energy. The force slammed into them, pushing them all to the ground. "Oww." Yusuke muttered.

"Are you all okay?" a female voice asked from behind them.

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Yes the last part of the chapter did suck, and yes, it was very rushed. Sorry, but I have work to do, and I've been working a lot this weekend. The good news is that that was the last bad action-y scene of this story. Hooray!

I enjoyed the dream part… though it does make me think of the bible. Right now I'm in the process of watching Gunslinger Girl, which is suitably dark for my tastes. I also joined the mock trial team at my school… yikes!

I just signed away more of my free time. But oh well that's life. I'll do my best to update again next week as well. Until next time, see ya!


	22. All Things Considered

I can't believe it's been over a year since I started this story. I had no idea it'd been so long. It's almost done now, so I hope you guys will stick with me for just a little longer.

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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 20

_The demons attacked, and then disappeared in one huge explosion of energy. The force slammed into them, pushing them all to the ground. "Oww." Yusuke muttered._

"_Are you all okay?" a female voice asked from behind them._

They spun around to face the demon, and saw nothing but snow. "I'm here." She said as her form became visible to them.

"No way…" Kurama muttered when he saw her. Even if nothing else was the same, those eyes were right out of the memories he'd been having lately. He took a hesitant step forward as she approached them, his eyes locked on hers.

She glided forward through the snowy mist, her pure white dress blending with it perfectly. "Kasumi." he muttered softly, "Little sister."

Behind him, Yusuke and Kuronue shared a startled glance. Hiei just stood there, glaring at the wolf.

"Youko." She said, reaching out a slender hand and placing it on his cheek. "It's been so long." She looked much like how he remembered her, except older. Her silver hair was cut off at her shoulders, and she'd grown about as tall as he was in human form.

"How is this possible?" he asked her. "It's been hundreds of years."

"Exactly." She said as he swept her up in an embrace. "And you've become everything I knew you could."

Not indicating that he would let go anytime soon, he told her "It's all because of you Kasumi. Everything happened because you exist, and I met you."

"I'm not trying to interrupt the reunion," Kuronue began, stepping forward, "but would you care to introduce the rest of us?"

"This is Kasumi." He told them. "I knew her a long, long time ago. She's as good as a little sister to me."

Turning back to Kasumi, he asked. "How did you end up here?"

"Now now," Kuronue interrupted, taking Kasumi by the shoulders. "Why don't we get the young lady inside first? Just looking at her standing barefoot in the snow is making me cold."

Yusuke seemed to realize he was cold with that statement, and began to shiver. "I agree with bat boy, let's go inside."

So the five of them moved inside and listened to Kasumi's story. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." She said.

"I was born in a village in a forest where it was always winter. It was a village of wolf demons, and my father was the leader. He wasn't a very good man, but he was the strongest among us.

When I was three, I met Youko. He was only about ten years old, but he was still very underdeveloped for a demon. He couldn't speak, and because of my father's brutality, he was afraid to get near anyone.

I did love my father, simply because he was my father. But I saw how he abused Youko, and I saw how he treated the villagers. He allowed them to be as brutal as they wanted, and as he was a slave, he became the victim of their depravity.

There was no reason for it, just random beatings that could occur at any moment. At first, I thought it was okay, because he was used to it. But that was before I actually saw him up close. He was scrawny, and he looked half his age. I may have only been a child, but I knew something was wrong.

So I began observing him, and that was when I realized he couldn't even talk yet. I didn't like that, so I decided I would have to do something about it. When I was about six, I began to sneak out of the house to give him food. And then, a year later, he finally said his first word.

The name I gave him was Youko, as that was all I'd ever heard him called before. We grew closer all the time, and eventually, he learned to speak. Father noticed my friendship with Youko, and he didn't like it, so it became harder and harder to visit him. Then one day, when he was sixteen, I heard father talking about selling him.

I rushed to tell him, and then that night, he fled the village. I was so proud when he escaped father, but unfortunately, he realized I must have told him. When we found that Youko had also robbed us before he left, father grew very angry. He went on a rampage, and soon everyone was fighting.

I decided that it was time that I stood up for myself, so a day after Youko, I also left the village. It was difficult for me at first, but then one of my mother's people found me. I lived with the ice demon tribe for several years before I could set out on my own.

You see, I wanted to find out where Youko had gone. It was about that time that rumors of the one who called himself the bandit king emerged. When I heard the description, I had no doubt it was Youko.

I knew there was no way I could find him if he was as sneaky as everyone says he was, so I decided I'd have to become stronger too. At that time, I was aware of my ability to create mist, but that was all I knew. So I decided that the best way I could get stronger was to seek out the king of northern Makai.

I went to the palace of King Akio, and surprisingly, he agreed to take me on as a member of his staff. They trained me, and I learned how to use energy to manipulate demons' minds. I became the head of his intelligence staff because I could easily get demons to tell us what we needed to know.

I was with King Akio for over a hundred years, and I grew very close to his son Hiraku. Then, King Akio was defeated by a blind demon named Yomi. The kingdom fell apart, and Yomi took over.

I fled with Hiraku (1) to Raizen's realm, where Hiraku became fast friends with Raizen. He was very fond of a strange purple hat that Raizen gave him, and he grew very powerful there. I didn't like it there very much though, so I left one night and never returned.

Then, I heard a rumor that Youko Kurama had reappeared during the dark tournament. I set out looking for him, and eventually, he returned to demon world when a portal was forced open.

I was too late to catch up with you then, Youko. So I waited, and eventually you returned again. Then I grew frightened. What if you didn't remember me? After all, it had been hundreds of years. So I used my powers to make you dream of me, so you'd remember. I didn't control your feelings at all Youko, I promise. I just… wanted to know that you still remembered me…" Kasumi trailed off, watching as Kurama smiled at her comfortingly.

"Of course I remember you." He told her. And that was that.

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The next day, they left for the butterfly village. Hiei and Kasumi led them through the snows, unconcerned by them.

Kasumi wasn't sure why, but the whole time they were traveling, she felt Hiei glaring at her from behind.

She recognized the third eye on his forehead for what it was, so she knew better than to use her powers to find out what his problem was. So she tried to ignore it, instead chatting with Youko and getting to know his lovely mate.

But despite that, the whole time she felt concern over the little demon's apparent animosity towards her.

In the meantime, Hiei was pondering what he had learned about the Kitsune's life. Thinking of that made him think back to a conversation they had had long ago.

"_Am I interrupting your self pity fox?"_

"_The things you were thinking right now were not unlike what I've felt before."_

"_What was that you said earlier about me being **excited**?"_

They both had a right to self-pity, but by now, they should have overcome their petty rivalry. After all, both of them had suffered, who cared who had suffered more?

At the butterfly village, Hiei watched as Youko and Kuronue were led off to meet the children, and as Yusuke started chasing after the dancers who flirted with him.

He turned and glared at the wolf they had left him alone with. He hated goody goodies like her.

"Umm… Hiei?" she asked him timidly.

He looked at her questioningly. And so it began, yet another do-gooder would want to fix the forbidden child.

"Why do you keep glaring at me?" she asked, surprising him. This was a bit different than what he had expected. They sat there in silence for several long moments.

"You know, you don't have to act so good all the time." He informed her. "There's no point in denying who you are. After all, nobody who's been an inquisitor for a demon king can really be as pure as you pretend to be." He didn't know what was making him talk this much, especially to someone like her. Maybe he just didn't want to see another psychically gifted demon go insane because it tried to ignore the things it heard from others' minds.

"I don't claim to be pure-"

"You've heard the same things I have." He snapped. "If you've seen what everyone thinks like, then what possible reason could you have for acting so good all the time?"

"Hiei," she said "why should I need a reason to be good?" (2)

Hiei wasn't sure how to respond to a question like that. She actually had a point. In seeing the evil of most every demon's mind, he had faced a difficult reality all of his life. Psychics were usually driven insane by that kind of thing. But was it possible that she simple perceived all of that evil as an example of what not to do?

He felt his whole opinion of her changing, and he felt a growing respect for this girl that the Kitsune considered a sister.

"I think you need to have a talk with Youko." She said perceptively, before walking off to find him.

Why would he need to… oh. A lot of things were unresolved between the two of them right now. He had grown angry with the kitsune for demeaning himself with Kuronue. But if what Kasumi had just implied was true, maybe he wasn't really demeaning himself like the common demon. Rather, could he have been committing an act of kindness? This made Hiei's head hurt.

"Hey." Kurama said, approaching him. Hiei grunted in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry if I somehow disappointed you Hiei." Kurama told him.

"Don't talk nonsense fox." Hiei told him. "I don't have high expectations of someone who's grown soft among humans."

Even without looking, Kurama knew that Hiei was smirking. "Alright then." The redhead said. "The children are so small," Kurama decided on a change of topic. "It's almost scary to think that the hope of our future rests on their shoulders."

"Nonsense fox." Hiei scolded. "The only thing the future depends on is our ability to help them. And if you're there for them, everything will be fine."

Both of them knew that Kurama wouldn't return to Ningenkai, but the sentiment was there all the same. "Thanks." Kurama said, smiling as well now. That was the closest Hiei would come to apologizing.

The others approached them with the children. "Well, let's see where things go from here." Kurama stated, and they walked forward together.

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(1) I know that isn't his actual name, but I didn't know what it was so… He's the blond haired buddy of Raizen's

(2) Can you believe I've had that conversation planned out since last year? It just popped into my head one day.

All that remains after this is the epilogue. Sorry I haven't been around, but I'm sick of giving excuses, valid or not.

I'm just so happy my writing block went away. This is actually pretty good in my opinion. I just hope someone's still around to read it…


	23. Epilogue: Bliss

This chapter is much shorter that I expected -not quite one thousand words- but what can I do? I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me through this story for all of the words you've spoken (well, written). It means a lot to me, really. This chapter is dedicated to you guys. So without further ado, here is the final chapter of Words Once Spoken.

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Words Once Spoken: Epilogue

_After that,_ t_hings returned to normal- well, as normal as anything could be for us. Kasumi returned with Kuro and I, and she found the home she had long been seeking. I'd never predicted that she and my apprentice would hit it off so well._

_Akiko learned a new kind of honesty; and Kasumi learned a new sort of kindness. It was almost as if their souls existed to complete each other's. I watched them with a growing sense of pride; the pride of one who knows that he was a part of something good. And it was good, without a doubt._

_We all lived for a while, in that place. To Kuro, to me, and to all of us, that camp was a place full of memories. Even if I couldn't hold onto them, and I felt them slipping away from me, Kuro and everyone else were there to help me make new memories. _

_I continued, simply watching for a long time. I saw them grow, and grow, and finally stop growing. At that point, I knew my usefulness had come to an end. There was nothing left for me to teach them._

_When they stopped, I knew it was time to take my leave. I told Kuro, and he accepted without question. That selfless chimera gave up his band for my sake, and we left it to them. In doing so, we left them with the hope for something better. _

_As for Hiei, he kept up with Mukuro and Yukina, just as he had always done. Nothing seemed to change with him, except surprisingly; he visited us fairly often. It seemed as if Kasumi had captured his heart. _

_I noticed that gradually, his eyes began to shine more. He developed a kindness that he'd always tried to deny. In his own secretive way, he too was growing. For that, I was more grateful to Kasumi than my words could express. _

_From Hiei, I learned the three butterfly children were adapting well. They lived at the temple. It wasn't surprising to me that they were doing well. Naturally, with the influence of so many great people, they would develop into kind individuals. That was my deepest wish for them, and it was pleasant to be a part of that, however indirect._

_Even so, all of those things were passing fancies for Kuro and I. After a while, the two of us grew restless. It seemed that time apart made us desire each other even more, and sharing each other's attention was something neither of us wanted to do. _

_We wandered for a while, and my worldly lover showed me a new side to Makai. We traveled to places we had known in the past, and we reminded each other of things we had forgotten. Thinking back, those were some of the most blissful moments of my life. _

_To be alone with my lover, and free of any obligations, or of any restrictions, took us back to the height of our love for each other. Seeing so many new things and making so many happy memories began to take its toll on me._

_I still feared for my sanity; and I feared that I would forget all of those new memories as well. That was, and still is, something that would be worse than death to me. _

_I voiced my fears to Kuro, and he assured me I was just getting old. You can imagine how I took that…_

_Even so, it reassured me. After all, someone as old as Kuro would know- and that's exactly what I told him. You can imagine how he took that as well…_

_Those months were fun, and they brought me back to the days of my apprenticeship. Even in my human body, I could appreciate my amusing mate._

_We both agreed that we should use my younger self to his fullest while he still lived. It wouldn't be fair for Shuuichi otherwise. He wasn't entirely happy with our logic, but he didn't mind being used by my chimera either._

_After a while, all three of us craved something more solid to hold onto. I enjoyed the life of a nomad, truly I did, but it scared me all the same. Once, a long time ago, Kuro told me about the place where he grew up; in a town far far away. _

_I begged him to take me there one day, and he agreed. But at that time, we weren't ready to settle down. Instead, and I still smile remembering this, in a castle in central Makai, we decided we wanted to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our reunion. _

_Once determined, my chimera cannot be stopped. He invaded the place by himself, and within an hour, he had emptied it for me. I don't think he hurt anybody- well, not seriously at least. _

_I fell in love with him all over again then. Who wouldn't? He held me close to him every night, as if afraid we would be pulled apart. I wasn't much better. It's ironic, the two bandit kings acting like children, but who cares? I don't._

_We'd been through a lot, and we would be through a lot more before the time came for us to die. _

_So after a week of sensual delight, Shuuichi, whose sense of propriety was anxious, decided we would return the castle. The look on the owners' faces when we finally tracked them down was priceless! _

_My darling bat and I continued down the road we ourselves made; learning about each other in the process. _

_I was still afraid, but even if I lost my memories completely, I would always have Kuro to tell me about the words once spoken. That was all I really needed. _

"And in that year, I recovered something I'd thought was lost forever."

**That's the end of this chapter in Kurama's life. The Silver Tears adventure will continue in As Long As You're Mine. **

_**Preview: "No… I'll go with you." Resignation filled his emerald eyes, and his shoulders drooped in the manner of one reluctant, but condemned as he stepped into the circle. **_

_**A blinding light filled the circle, erasing everything contained within it. When the light cleared, both Kurama and those demons had vanished.**_

_**"No…" Kuronue sobbed from where he had fallen. "T-This can't be h-happening again. No, not again…" But in the clearing before him, it was as if the warmth of his lover had never existed. "Kuramaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!" **_

**Also, be on the lookout for The Boy Who Had No Heart, the tale of Kuronue's life before Youko, and after Youko.**

_**Preview: It was night, and outside his window, the bright, full moon swallowed up the sky. Kuronue sat on the windowsill with his legs dangling over the mile-long abyss, staring blankly. Any outsider who saw him would think he was imprisoned in the tower, not knowing that his real prison was much smaller.**_

_**Normally at night, he would swing his silver chain obsessively and lose himself in the hypnotic rhythm. But on nights like this, he just sat.**_

_**Suddenly, he was falling. Falling, strangely, without fear or excitement. Was it really true then? Did he have no heart; no feelings?**_

_**His body hit earth, and then he had no thoughts at all.**_


End file.
